Oyster fritter

What it is

A puck of batter packed with shredded cabbage, chopped chives, a little minced pork and fresh oysters, deep-fried so the shell is crisp and the inside just cooked. Some places add bean sprouts. It is served with a dipping sauce.

Where it comes from

A fried snack of Taiwan and the Minnan region, it is most common in fishing villages and ports along Taiwan's west coast where oysters are farmed. Tainan's coastal districts, including Beimen, Madou, Dongshan and Anping, are among the places it is popular. Wanggong fishing port in Changhua has more than a dozen shops on one street.

How it is made

A shallow iron ladle is lined with a flour-and-egg batter, then filled in layers with cabbage, chives, meat and oysters, covered with more batter and lowered into hot oil. When the fritter comes away from the ladle it is knocked loose and left to finish frying.

How to eat it

Get it hot, while the shell is still crisp, and use the dipping sauce.

In Tainan

Hsiu Li in the Qingkunshen fishing village, Jiangjun district, uses plump oysters farmed locally, and also sells squid skewers, dried milkfish and shrimp crisps.