Pork balls are a common part of the cuisines of Taiwan, China, and other parts of Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia in Bali and Thailand.

They are particularly popular in the Taiwanese city of Hsinchu, where an annual festival is dedicated to them.

[1] The name originally derives from Taiwanese: 摃 (to pound with a mallet) + 丸 (ball).

In Taiwan, pork balls are most commonly served in a soup called gongwan tang (貢丸湯; pinyin: gòngwán tāng; POJ: kòng-ôan-thng), which is essentially a clear broth topped with chopped coriander leaf and green onions.

In Vietnam, pork ball (thịt heo viên) may be roasted or eaten with tomato sauce.