Yongji Cai's Traditional Oyster Omelette Introduction
Tsai Tsung-hsien (born in 1972) is from Longshan. He rents fish ponds from the farmer's association to cultivate clams. Farming clams is not too busy, relying on seawater inflow and feed. Clams need to be raised for 8 to 12 months before they can be harvested, during which there is no income. To supplement his family's expenses, he sets up a stall nearby to sell oyster pancakes. There are no villages nearby, and the customers are mainly passing tourists and truck drivers. Tsai's traditional oyster pancakes are based on the technique learned from the earliest oyster pancake stall in Longshan, which is known as Jiaozi Oyster Pancakes. The batter includes: yellow soy flour, wheat flour, crispy flour, and traditional flour; the filling contains: cabbage, chives, celery, and pickled vegetables. The use of pickled vegetables reflects an old-fashioned taste, which is why the stall is named "Tsai's Traditional Oyster Pancakes." The oyster vermicelli is also a signature dish of "Tsai's," featuring ingredients like handmade vermicelli, shallots, chive flowers, sesame oil, and oysters. The preparation method involves simmering mullet 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, with shallots, chive flowers, and oysters added until cooked, then poured over the vermicelli, with a drizzle of sesame oil before serving. In addition to oyster pancakes and oyster vermicelli, they also sell mullet belly soup, mullet skin soup, and mullet sausages. Since clam farming must be mixed with mullet farming to allow the mullet to eat algae, otherwise the fish pond will have algae in the winter, covering the clams and suffocating them to death.
