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Hand-rolled fish balls flecked with herbs, in a bowl
  • Private-label packing
  • Export documentation
Value-Added Seafood

Fish Balls and Seafood Balls for Hot Pot, Noodle Shops and Retail

BSA Food Products supplies frozen fish balls and seafood balls made from declared surimi and fish paste, boiled or fried through, in sizes from small soup balls to jumbo hot pot pieces, packed for Asian foodservice, retail and private label.

  • Fish, shrimp, squid, crab and mixed seafood balls
  • Surimi or fish paste, with species declared per lot
  • Boiled or fried, cooked through before freezing
  • Small soup sizes up to jumbo hot pot balls of 45 mm and more
  • Cheese- and roe-filled balls on request
  • Retail, hot pot and foodservice packs, own brand available

Product Specifications

Indicative; confirmed per lot on each quotation.

Origin
Produced in Thailand, or in Indonesia by arrangement, from tropical surimi or fish paste and from Alaska pollock surimi; species and source are declared on each offer.
Grade / Size
By diameter: small 15⁠–⁠20 mm, medium 25⁠–⁠30 mm, large 35⁠–⁠40 mm, jumbo 45 mm and above; count per kilogram stated for each size.
Form & Processing
Surimi or fish paste mixed with seasoning and seafood pieces, formed, then boiled or fried until cooked through, cooled and frozen; filled styles are closed around the center before setting.
Storage
Keep at -18 °C or colder; reheat from frozen in soup, broth or oil until hot throughout, and do not refreeze once thawed.
MOQ
Typically one 20 ft reefer, about 8⁠–⁠9 t (indicative), mixing ball types and pack sizes as needed.
Lead Time
Usually 3⁠–⁠5 weeks for established recipes; filled balls, new flavors and own-brand packaging take longer.

Product overview

Across East and South-East Asia, fish balls are an everyday staple: dropped into noodle soup, threaded onto skewers, simmered in curry sauce or cooked at the table in hot pot. Their quality is judged first by bite. A good ball springs back when pressed and gives slightly when bitten, which depends on how much fish protein the paste holds and how well it has gelled, so fish content and surimi grade sit at the top of every specification we write.

The base is surimi or fish paste from tropical species such as threadfin bream (Nemipterus spp.), lizardfish (Saurida spp.), bigeye snapper (Priacanthus spp.) and croaker, or Alaska pollock surimi for a whiter ball, and the species used are declared on each offer. Paste is mixed with salt, starch, seasoning and water, and for seafood balls with chopped shrimp, squid or crab. The range covers plain fish balls, shrimp balls, squid balls, crab balls (or crab-flavored balls where no crab is added), mixed seafood balls and filled balls with a cheese or fish roe center. Flavored lines such as lobster-flavored balls are named so that they do not suggest more lobster than the recipe contains, and plain squid from the same supply chain appears on our frozen squid page.

Formed balls are set either in hot water, giving the classic pale, smooth boiled ball, or in oil, giving a golden fried ball with a firmer skin. Both are cooked through during manufacture and then frozen, so the end user reheats rather than cooks them, although the pack still says how. Sizes are graded by diameter, roughly 15⁠–⁠20 mm for small soup balls, 25⁠–⁠30 mm medium, 35⁠–⁠40 mm large, and 45 mm and above for jumbo hot pot balls. Checks before release cover springiness in compression and bite tests, surface smoothness and cracks, whiteness or fry color, diameter and weight uniformity, splitting after reboiling and, for filled balls, whether the center stays sealed.

Packs range from 200 g and 500 g retail bags and hot pot assortments to 1 kg, 2.5 kg and 5 kg foodservice bags and 10 kg bulk cartons for noodle chains, hot pot restaurants, caterers and Asian supermarkets. Own-brand packs, regional seasonings and assortments for hot pot sets are made through our private-label service, and fish balls ship easily alongside surimi crab sticks and a frozen seafood mix for buyers building a hot pot or soup range.

Specification sheet

Fish Balls and Seafood Balls: full specification

Indicative values. Final specifications are confirmed per lot on the quotation and certificate of analysis.

Fish Balls and Seafood Balls product specification
Fish baseThreadfin bream, lizardfish, bigeye snapper, croaker or Alaska pollock surimi; declared per lot
VarietiesFish, shrimp, squid, crab or crab-flavored, mixed seafood, filled
Size15⁠–⁠20, 25⁠–⁠30, 35⁠–⁠40 and 45+ mm diameter
Fish contentStated per recipe as a share of finished weight
Cook statusBoiled or fried through in manufacture; reheat before eating
TextureSpringiness and surface checked per lot against a retained sample
AdditivesPhosphates, flavor enhancers and colors declared per destination
Shelf lifeTypically 12⁠–⁠18 months at -18 °C, depending on recipe
AllergensFish; crustaceans, molluscs, milk, egg, wheat or soy by variety
DocumentsHealth certificate, certificate of origin, ingredient sheet per variety
Minimum orderTypically one 20 ft reefer, about 8⁠–⁠9 t (indicative), mixing ball types and pack sizes as needed.
Lead timeUsually 3⁠–⁠5 weeks for established recipes; filled balls, new flavors and own-brand packaging take longer.

FAQ

Fish Balls and Seafood Balls: questions from buyers

What gives a fish ball its springy texture?

The spring comes from fish muscle protein that has been salted, worked into a paste and set by heat into an elastic gel. More fish protein and a higher-grade surimi give a firmer, bouncier ball, while extra starch and water make it softer and cheaper. Temperature control during mixing and setting matters too, which is why each lot is compared with a retained reference sample rather than judged by eye alone.

Do shrimp balls and crab balls contain real shrimp or crab?

Shrimp balls contain shrimp meat, and the percentage is set in the recipe and declared where the destination requires it. Crab balls may contain crab meat or only crab flavoring; where no crab is used, they are sold as crab-flavored balls, and the same applies to lobster-flavored lines. Any crustacean or mollusc content is declared as an allergen, and we state the seafood share on the specification so the label can be checked before printing.

Should I choose boiled or fried fish balls?

Boiled balls are pale, smooth and mild, the usual choice for clear noodle soups, hot pot and oden-style broths. Fried balls have a golden skin and a slightly firmer bite, and they hold up well in curry sauce, on skewers and in stir-fries. Many hot pot assortments mix the two, and both arrive cooked, needing only reheating in liquid or oil.

Which sizes suit hot pot and noodle soups?

Small 15⁠–⁠20 mm balls suit noodle soups and children’s portions, medium 25⁠–⁠30 mm balls are the all-round foodservice size, and large and jumbo balls of 35 mm and above are favored for hot pot, skewers and street-food stalls where each piece is eaten on its own. The count per kilogram is given for each size so portion costs can be worked out before ordering.

Related

Buyer guides

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