Oyster Thin Noodles
Oyster thin noodles, in which a thick soup is seasoned with vinegar and garlic sauce, are featured by fresh oysters and Taiwanese red noodles. They have a smooth and fresh taste.
Where is it from?
There are two sayings of where oyster thin noodles come from. One describes that oyster thin noodles were the improved version of another kind of thin noodles in Amoy, China. The other one says that oyster thin noodles originated in the early Taiwanese agricultural society. At that time, women cooked thin noodles in thick soup for the peasants. In order to make it more convenient to serve meals to many people at the same time, women used a big pot to cook thin noodles and added some local ingredients, such as oysters from the coastal area.
How do you prepare it?
Oyster thin noodles are identified by their red noodles which were invented in Taiwan. Although compared with normal noodles the texture of red noodles is rather loose, they are quite durable when cooked. To make oyster thin noodles, you need to put starch to thicken the soup. Then, add oysters and other seasonings, such as vinegar and garlic sauce. The noodles taste smooth and if the oysters are fresh, the meal will be more delicious.
Where do you buy it?
You can find stands selling oyster thin noodles on quite a few streets in Taiwan. However, since Lukang in central Taiwan provides rich sources of oysters, you can usually have fresh and tasty oyster thin noodles in that area.
蚵仔麵線
蚵仔麵線的起源有兩種說法，一是從廈門的麵線糊改良而成，二是源自台灣早期農業社會，婦女煮給農耕者的麵線羹，為方便多人享用，所以煮成一大鍋，一開始並無加入其他配料，後來根據各地盛產的食材來當作配料加入，如蚵仔、肉羹與大腸。
蚵仔麵線的麵條是採用台灣特有的紅麵線，雖然跟白麵線相比較無彈性，但非常耐煮，將湯頭勾芡加入蚵仔，以及烏醋、蒜泥等調味料烹煮而成。麵線的口感滑順，而蚵仔的鮮美度及湯頭的調味為好吃的關鍵。食用時，通常店家會提供調味料讓客人能夠調整口味。
在台灣的大街小巷幾乎都可見蚵仔麵線的蹤影，其中因為鹿港盛產蚵仔，因此在鹿港往往可吃到較鮮美的蚵仔麵線。
reference:
台灣大百科 http://taiwanpedia.culture.tw/web/content?ID=11844 台灣美食文化網 http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=67565&ctNode=2660&mp=1501
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