I was meeting up a new friend and what better way to do it than over food. We decided we were going to have Frog Porridge, which is one of the favourite supper food for Singaporeans. We chose this much talked about stall at Geylang called Geylang Lor 9 Fresh Frog Porridge. Image Credit: Medium.com
The frogs that’s served in these porridge are American bullfrogs. They are the second largest and heaviest of frogs and among the edible frog species, this is the dominant one for human consumption. It can reach a length of 30 cm and weigh up to 1.5 kg. Originating from North America, it is known by its peculiar booming call, which can be heard half a mile away. The male bullfrog's call is deep and loud, sounding like a deep cow moo, hence the name bullfrogs. Ever multiplying, their reproductive capacity is astonishing; an adult female can lay 25,000 eggs in a single clutch !!!
A big bulk of the American bullfrogs in Singapore comes from the Jurong Frog Farm, which was founded in the 1970s by Wan Bock Thiaw. The farm began life along Old Jurong Road and devoted to breeding of American bullfrogs. Because of its large size and their big & meaty thighs, the American bullfrog is the most common & preferred species for farming. By the 1990s, the huge increased demand for frog meat led to the farm being relocated to the Kranji countryside. Singaporeans reportedly eat a whopping 15 million frogs a year.
Singapore frog porridge is generally served two ways. The first is a simpler, no-frills version in which the frog is boiled directly in a pot of plain hot porridge. The second involves cooking the frog in a dense soy sauce, flavoured with assorted items like dried chilli or ginger and spring onion, then having it with a separate bowl of porridge. I personally prefer the second style, with its glorious combination of savoury gravy, sticky porridge and the unique, springy texture of frog meat
We ordered both the stall’s specialties ; one was done in spring onion style & the other in spicy ‘Kung Pao’ sauce.
For the spicy Kung Bao version, they use dark sweet soya sauce, with dried chilli and spring onions. A dash of wine enhances the taste. The non spicy version is cooked win dark sweet soya sauce with ginger, spring onion and also a dash of wine. The porridge is done Cantonese style, which is smooth, gooey and the rice grains already disintegrated. For those that’s never ate frogs before, it taste similar to chicken thigh meat, but more delicate and not as tough as chicken meat.
The frog meat is very tender and soaked up the sauce flavours very nicely. Both seasoning tastes good and mixes well with the porridge. The tender frog meat was sweet and succulent. So good that you can just keep on eating the porridge and frogs non-stop. Indeed, a worthy meal to have with a new friend.
