Thomas Koh was 11 years old in 1999 when he watched his grandfather’s world collapse. Since the 1950s, the Koh family has run Koh Brother Pig’s Organ Soup stall at Tiong Bahru Market. Its signature dish was a clear Teochew-style broth simmered with pork bones, offal and salted greens. At its centre were dark, jelly-like cubes of pig’s blood. Koh remembers the routine. Every morning, buckets of fresh blood would arrive at the stall. Left to set, the blood became soft, curd-like blocks. When customers ordered, the blocks were sliced, blanched and added to the soup. “It’s rich, and full of umami. The texture is similar to tofu,” recalls the…
