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Chinese Name: 蚵仔煎
English Name: Oyster Omelet
Category: Snack小吃
Main Ingredients: Oyster; Egg
Oyster Omelet蚵仔煎 is a classic traditional snack that originated in coastal areas of Fujian, Taiwan, and Chaoshan.
There is an interesting story about its origin. Folklore says that in 1661, Dutch荷兰 troops occupied Tainan台湾. Quanzhou Nan ‘an Zheng Chenggong郑成功 led troops from lu Ermen鹿耳门, to recover the lost land, the zheng army crushing the Dutch army. In a rage, the Dutch army hid all the rice.
Zheng Jun became wise in a hurry when he was short of food. He simply used local materials to mix Taiwanese specialty oysters and sweet potato powder with water and then fried them into cakes to eat. Unexpectedly, they became popular snacks in the whole province.
Oyster omelets are a specialty in coastal cities of Fujian province, Taiwan Province, and the Chaoshan region. It is said that the oyster omelet is a kind of creative food invented in a poor society. It is an alternative food invented by the ancient people when they were poor and could not get enough to eat. It is a symbol of the poor life.
Minnan闽南, Taiwan台湾, and Chaoshan潮汕 are basically the same root homology. In Taiwan, it was originally known as the “fried food chase煎食追”. It is a traditional snack known to the older generation in the Anping安平 area of Tainan.
Another theory with roots to follow is that the Taiwan oyster omelet was brought to Taiwan by Zheng Chenggong’s army and immigrants from Fujian and Chaoshan. Become the people of both sides of the Taiwan Strait common favorite delicacies. Nowadays, there is a high degree of consistency between the oyster omelet in Taiwan and the omelet in southern Fujian, especially in Quanzhou.
Oysters are so nutritious that they have been likened to the “milk of the deep sea深海牛奶”. Oysters are called “oysters蚝” in Guangdong and “oysters蚵仔” in southern Fujian and Taiwan. There is a popular saying in southern Fujian called “Oyster fat chives肥蚵仔肥韭菜”, which means that in the second month of the lunar calendar when the growth of chives is the most vigorous, the oyster is also the fattest season. Oyster omelets are a wonderful combination of the two.
Oyster omelet is one of the must-have dishes to test the skills of women in Hokkien’s Golden Triangle. Although the recipe is simple, it’s a little difficult to make it really good. Different people fry it to different tastes. It should be included in the first home-cooked meal for the in-laws after the bride’s introduction. A well-done bride will make her in-laws look at her differently.
How to make Oyster Omelet?
Ingredients：
- 180g oysters
- 5 tablespoons sweet potato starch
- 1 green garlic
- Half a spoonful of salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1-3 eggs
- 1/3 teaspoon pepper
Instruction:
- Step 1, Beat the eggs and add some salt. Cut the carrots and cabbage into shreds and set them aside. Cut up the scallions. The oyster is marinated in soy sauce to taste, you can also put two spoonfuls of oyster sauce mix and then fry not only to remove the fishy but also to taste more delicious.
- Step 2, Pour a good amount of oil into a saucepan and pour the marinated oysters over low heat and fry them slowly.
- Step 3, Let the oysters fry in the oil for two or three minutes, turn them over, then add the shredded carrots and cabbage.
- Step 4, When it’s almost ripe, sprinkle on some chives for extra flavor. (In Taiwan and Fujian, garlic leaves are used.)
- Step 5, Slowly pour the egg mixture along the edge of the oyster, then pour the remaining egg mixture into the middle.
- Step 6, Rotate the pan so that the egg inside flows in an even circle.
- Step 7, When the egg is almost set, set it on low heat and dry it slowly.
- Step 8, Drizzle in sweet chili sauce or tomato sauce as desired, and serve.
Tips:
- Don’t flip the oyster all the time, or it will smell fishy.
