Yongji Cai's Traditional Oyster Omelette Introduction
Tsai Tsung-hsien (born in 1972) is from Longshan. He rents a fish pond from a farmers' association to cultivate clams, which does not require much busy work, relying on the natural seawater and feed. Clams need to be raised for 8-12 months before they can be harvested, during which there is no income. Therefore, he sets up a stall to sell oyster omelets to supplement his family's income. There are no villages nearby, and his customers are mostly passing tourists and truck drivers. Tsai's traditional oyster omelet was learned from the earliest oyster omelet stall in Longshan, known as Jiaozi Oyster Omelet. The batter consists of: yellow soybean powder, flour, crispy powder, and rice flour; the filling includes: cabbage, leeks, celery, and preserved vegetables. The use of preserved vegetables gives it an old-fashioned taste, thus the name "Tsai's Traditional Oyster Omelet." Oyster vermicelli is also a signature dish of "Tsai's," with ingredients like handmade vermicelli, shallots, chive flowers, sesame oil, and oysters. The preparation involves simmering milkfish bones and pork bones for a long time to make broth. The vermicelli is briefly blanched and set aside in a bowl. Pour the broth into a small pot and bring it to a boil, adding shallots, chive flowers, and oysters until cooked, then remove from heat, pour over the vermicelli, and drizzle with sesame oil before serving. Besides oyster omelets and oyster vermicelli, they also sell milkfish belly soup, milkfish skin soup, and milkfish sausage. Since clam farming must be done in conjunction with milkfish to allow them to eat algae, otherwise, in winter, algae will cover the clams, causing them to suffocate and die.
