Xinwen Oyster Omelette Introduction
"Xinwen Oysters" has been passed down to the third generation since it was established at the end of the Japanese occupation at Zhou Shui River, marking over 80 years of history and becoming a symbol of nostalgia for the people of Xinwen. When compatriots return from abroad, they must come to eat; not eating Xinwen Oysters after returning home is like not coming back to Xinwen at all. Cai Chong-ji (born in 1956) is the grandson of Zhou Shui River, who worked as a salt drying laborer at the Budai Salt Field. During the rainy season or winter, when there was a break in salt drying, he set up a stall at the Kaiyung Temple to fry oysters. Oysters were once called "Bitter Oysters" due to the high proportion of garlic chives in the mixture, and because people at that time preferred their oysters fried until crispy and dark, giving it a bitter taste, hence the name. The people of Xinwen prefer meat-stuffed dumplings over oyster-filled ones, so despite the store being called "Xinwen Oysters," it primarily serves meat dumplings. During the Japanese occupation, pork was not available, so they used dolphin meat when available and black fish meat when that was in season, varying the fillings according to the seasons. Cai Chong-ji's father, Cai Huan-nan (born in 1923), was also a salt worker who lost his job due to the consolidation policy and took over the oyster stall at the Kaiyung Temple. In the 1980s, Xiao Yu-lan married into the family and took over her father-in-law's oyster stall, becoming the third-generation inheritor of "Xinwen Oysters." The frying batter for "Xinwen Oysters" consists of rice milk and yellow soybean flour, while the filling includes cabbage, garlic chives, and more.
