Dishes
Oyster omelette
蚵仔煎
Also called: o-a-tsian · ô-á-tsian · oyster omelet
Small oysters fried with egg and a chewy sweet potato starch batter.
Photo: kawai shiao, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: bryan... from Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: bryan... from Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA 2.0What it is
A night-market dish of small oysters fried with egg and a batter of sweet potato starch, which gives it a chewy texture. Depending on the region, a sauce may go on top. Wikipedia calls it the most popular snack in Taiwan.
Where it comes from
A Minnan dish, it is credited to the Hokkien and Teochew people of southern Fujian and Chaoshan, and is eaten today in southern Fujian, Taiwan and the Philippines.
How it is made
Small oysters, egg and a slurry of sweet potato starch are fried together, often in lard. Swap the oysters for shrimp and it becomes a shrimp omelette (蝦仁煎).
How to eat it
Eat it hot as a snack or as one dish in a shared meal.
In Tainan
Traditional Tainan Feast in Anping serves it among the 'century-old classics' alongside danzai noodles, and Michelin suggests a glass of winter melon tea with them.
Where to eat it in Tainan
Sources