Dishes
Shrimp roll
蝦捲
Also called: 安平蝦捲 · Anping shrimp roll
Shrimp and cabbage rolled up and deep-fried in a thin, crisp coat, a Tainan snack.
What it is
Shrimp and cabbage rolled up, coated in batter and deep-fried, with a light, crisp crust. At Chou's in Anping the roll is wrapped in pig membrane first, and the fat melts into the filling as it fries, keeping it juicy.
Where it comes from
Huang Chia's own history traces the roll to Fuzhou soldiers who came with Koxinga and made a 'meat roll' of pig membrane around cabbage, duck egg and minced pork. According to the same account, shrimp replaced the pork during Japanese rule, when fishing ports were developed and shrimp became easy to get. In Anping, Chou's founder Chou Chin-ken was a banquet chef who sold snacks between catering jobs and found the shrimp rolls sold best.
How it is made
The shrimp filling is rolled, coated in batter (Huang Chia uses potato starch) and deep-fried to order. Chou's wraps its rolls in pig membrane and uses a family batter recipe that stays crisp even after sitting.
How to eat it
Eat them hot, straight from the fryer. Huang Chia serves them with thin slices of radish to cut the richness.
In Tainan
Chou's is Anping's best-known shrimp-roll shop. Huang Chia, more than 60 years old, has moved four times and still has queues before it opens.
Where to eat it in Tainan
黃家蝦捲Huang Chia Shrimp Roll
Shrimp-and-cabbage rolls fried to order in a light, crisp starch batter.
周氏蝦捲台南總店Chou's Shrimp Roll (Main Store)
Anping's best-known shrimp roll shop, wrapping the filling in caul fat before frying.
府城食府（安平）Traditional Tainan Feast (Anping)
Large, festive Anping restaurant serving Tainan street snacks such as danzai noodles and oyster omelette alongside banquet dishes. Groups can cover a lot of local food in one sitting.
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