Asian fish cakes and fish balls are both basically fish paste that’s processed into specific shapes, but they’re different. Fish cakes are formed into a square or rectangular shape and fried on all sides to give them a golden exterior. The texture is like a bouncy tofu (similar to Q-tofu). Fish balls, on the other hand, are shaped into round balls, and are not fried. They also have a chewier, bouncier texture. And let’s not even get into Western-style fish cakes, which are a totally different beast, and usually formed into patties and pan-fried rather than boiled.