Yongji Cai's Traditional Oyster Omelette Introduction
Tsai Tsung-Hsien (born in 1972) is from Longshan. He rents a fish pond from the agricultural association to farm clams, a process that is not too demanding, relying on seawater circulation and feed. Clams need to be cultivated for 8-12 months before harvest, during which there is no income. To supplement his family's expenses, he has set up a stall selling oyster pancakes nearby. There are no villages in the vicinity, so his customers are mostly passing tourists and truck drivers. Tsai’s Traditional Oyster Pancake learned from Jiaozi Oyster Pancake stall, one of the earliest vendors in Longshan. The batter consists of yellow soybean flour, wheat flour, crispy flour, and traditional flour; the filling contains cabbage, chives, celery, and pickles. The use of pickles gives it an old-fashioned flavor, hence the name "Tsai’s Traditional Oyster Pancake." Oyster vermicelli is also a signature dish of "Tsai's." The ingredients include handmade vermicelli, shallots, chive flowers, sesame oil, and oysters. The preparation involves simmering milkfish bones and pork bones for a long time to create a broth. The vermicelli is blanched and set aside. The broth is brought to a boil in a small pot, and shallots, chive flowers, and oysters are added and cooked until done, then poured over the vermicelli with a drizzle of sesame oil before serving. In addition to oyster pancakes and oyster vermicelli, they also sell milkfish belly soup, milkfish skin soup, and milkfish sausage. As the farming of clams requires co-culturing with milkfish to allow them to eat algae, otherwise, the fish pond may develop algae in winter, covering the clams and suffocating them.
