Guogou Temple Oyster Omelette Introduction
Those who have left Guogou for work or have married out, or our fellow villagers striving abroad, cannot wait to return to their hometown of Guogou and visit the "Miao Kou Oysters" stall at the Zhuangmiao Jiande Temple, where they order oyster pancakes, meat pancakes, or fried cakes to satisfy their cravings for the flavors of their hometown that they think about day and night while living away from home. Some even stop at the stall to eat a piece or two of fried cake or oyster pancake before picking up their luggage and stepping into their house. "Miao Kou Oysters" has become a symbol of nostalgia for the people of Guogou. The oyster pancakes or meat pancakes are still commonly referred to as "Kuzai Pancakes" locally, which traces back to the stall's founder, Tsai Wu Hsiu Chun. When she first opened the stall, Taiwan's socioeconomic situation was generally poor, and both oysters and pork were scarce and expensive ingredients that people could not afford. As a result, the batter made from a mixture of flour and mung bean flour contained only cabbage, leek, and ginger, without any oysters or meat, thus it was called "Vegetable Pancakes." Tsai Wu Hsiu Chun was accustomed to frying the "Vegetable Pancakes" for longer, and since she used lard at that time without changing the oil, the resulting "Vegetable Pancakes" were also crispy and blackened, with a bitter taste, leading everyone to call it "Kuzai Pancakes," a name that has persisted to this day. Although lard is no longer popular and they do not fry them for long anymore, and the frying oil is changed daily, the older generation still fondly refers to them as "Kuzai Pancakes." As Taiwan's socioeconomic situation gradually improves...
