Oysters are fried, and the fragrance of civilian food wafts on both sides of the strait

China News Service, Taipei, December 12 (Xinhua) -- Oysters are fried, and the fragrance of civilian delicacies wafts across the strait

China News Service reporter Chen Xiaoyuan

At half past four in the afternoon, when most of the stall owners in Taipei's Ningxia Night Market were still setting up their stalls, customers were already lining up at the entrance of the ring-edge oyster fried shop in the night market, and the 75-year-old owner Lai Bingxun began to get busy.

Lai Bingxun poured oil on a round iron pan, poured oysters (oysters), drizzled with sweet potato batter, beat eggs, spread green vegetables, turned over and fried on a plate, and then poured sweet and spicy sauce on top. In just a few minutes, the steaming oyster fried oysters were served.

Recently, Lai Bingxun, the owner of the ring-edge oyster fried restaurant in the Ningxia Night Market in Taipei, was making oyster fried. Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Xiaoyuan

Oyster fried is regarded as one of Taiwan's representative snacks and is commonly found in night markets, alleys or street food bars in various counties and cities. In a 2007 survey by Global Views Magazine on the "Top <> Snacks in Taiwan", oyster fried ranked first.

Founded in 1965, the Circle Side Oyster Fried Restaurant has been recommended by Michelin many times and is quite famous at home and abroad. In a recent interview with a reporter from China News Service, Lai Bingxun said that there are many well-known snacks in Taiwan, but it is not easy for a single snack to operate for decades.

Regarding the origin of Taiwanese oyster fried, it is widely said that it was introduced to Taiwan from Quanzhou, Fujian Province in the early years. In Quanzhou, Hokkien is called "oyster fried", and Mandarin is often called "oyster fried", because oysters are also called "oysters".

There is also a theory that in 1661, when Zheng Chenggong's army fought against the Dutch colonists, it was deprived of food, and in order to satisfy the soldiers' hunger, they used Taiwan's abundant oysters and sweet potato batter to fry into cakes, which later evolved into oyster fried.

After years of development, this snack has its own characteristics in different counties and cities in Taiwan due to the difference in the charity of frying, the consistency of the batter, and the preparation of the sauce.

For example, the oyster fried at the Ringside Oyster Fried Shop is slightly soft, the skin of the time-honored New Datong Restaurant in Kinmen is crispy and non-sticky, and the Oyster Fried Stalls at Keelung Miaokou use a hot charcoal fire to burn the oysters.

Recently, the oyster fried in the ring-side oyster fried shop in the Ningxia Night Market in Taipei. Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Xiaoyuan

There were people who were afraid of the fishy smell of oysters, but they liked the taste and juice of fried slurry, and asked "oysters to be fried without oysters". There are oyster fried shops that add dried meat to the flavor, and some shops have launched derivatives such as shrimp fried and flower branch fried.

Although the taste is different, people generally seek umami, so it is common to keep oysters on ice to maintain freshness.

The continuous frying of oysters every day is due to the abundance of oysters in Taiwan's Changhua Wanggong, Yunlin Taixi, Chiayi Dongshi and Tainan Qigu. According to reports, Taiwan's oyster farming method originated from southern Fujian and was introduced to Changhua Lukang or Chiayi Dongshi more than 300 years ago.

Lai Bingxun has been adjusting the taste for the first two years of making oyster fried, and he has not changed it for decades. "The times are developing, and there is no answer to whether the taste of oyster fried oyster has changed or not changed. However, many customers want to stay the same. He said.

At present, there are more than 20 people involved in all aspects of Lai Bingxun's shop, and he still insists on cooking oyster fried for three and a half hours every day, which often attracts diners from all over the world to take pictures.

"If you don't do it carefully, it's easy to be eliminated by the times." Lai Bingxun believes that although the taste of oyster fried remains unchanged, the business should keep pace with the times. The shift from the booth to the store has increased the number of seats and improved the comfort of customers.

He is currently the honorary president of the Ningxia Night Market Tourism Association, and has promoted the orderly development of night market snacks for many years. "Twenty or thirty years ago, some stallholders were disrespectful to their customers while smoking or munching betel nut while making snacks." He believes that hygiene is very important when it comes to running snacks.

Recently, in the Huanbian Oyster Fried Shop in Taipei's Ningxia Night Market, customers lined up at the door. Photo by China News Service reporter Chen Xiaoyuan

Lai Bingxun attaches great importance to his Xi and received his master's degree last year after Xi studying business administration at Taipei University of Commerce for two years after studying in business management. His dissertation was related to his own oyster frying shop. In his Xi, he continuously optimizes the details of his operation by adjusting the selection of ingredients and transportation channels. For example, the oysters in the store now come from Tainan, and the contract is used to ensure a stable supply.

Many mainland tourists have tasted the fried oysters made by Lai Bingxun, and some tourists have also shared their experience of visiting the store on online platforms. Lai Bingxun has also been to many provinces in the mainland and tasted various snacks. It's also an exchange, he said. "Mainland tourists are welcome to come to Taiwan to taste oyster fried." (ENDS)