Delicious Tastes by the Coast: Creative Dishes Unveiled at the Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan Good Food Festival

Written/Compiled and Reported by Chi Bing-hui

Taiwan is surrounded by the sea, which has led to a thriving marine fishing industry, allowing Taiwanese people to enjoy delicious mountain-and-sea delicacies. Among them, the Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan Coastal National Scenic Area offers ingredients such as spicy mullet roe, fresh oysters, and milkfish. In August, the Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan Management Office launched the “Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan Good Food Festival – Delicious Dishes Recipe Competition.” A total of 48 creative dishes made with local ingredients from the area competed fiercely. After two months of online voting and expert judging, five innovative dishes were recently selected to receive awards, with hopes of attracting more visitors to come taste the cuisine of Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan.

The first-place dish, “Crispy Burdock Fried Shrimp,” impressed both in appearance and texture, created by Mr. Yan Guofeng, chef at Tokyo House Japanese Restaurant in Banqiao. The second-place “Crispy Shrimp Rolls” came from Mr. You Zhihao of Black Skin Seafood Restaurant in Budai, Chiayi. The third-place “Apricot Good Taste” stood out with its clear plating and appealing colors, created by Mr. Chen Wenbo, head chef at Public Restaurant in Puzi, Chiayi. Additionally, the two honorable mention dishes were “Japanese-Style Cold Oyster Noodles” and “Fermented Black Bean Stir-Fried Fresh Oysters.”

Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan Management Office Director Chang Cheng-yuan stated that local ingredients from the Yunlin–Chiayi–Tainan coastal area are fresh, and even simple dishes taste great. The award-winning dishes will be included in a upcoming cookbook to be published by the management office, and videos showing the cooking process of each dish will also be released on YouTube. The public is welcome to learn these delicious coastal recipes together.