Oyster omelette

A hawker is making oyster omelette in the Shilin night market, Taipei

Oyster omelette from Chien-Cheng Circle, Datong District (Taipei).

Modern-style Taiwanese Oyster Omelette

Oyster omelette and chilli sauce from Newton Food Centre, Singapore.

The oyster omelette (Chinese: 蚵仔煎; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ô-á-chian) is a dish that is widely known in Taiwan and Fujian, and many parts of Asia for its savory taste. Variations of the dish preside in some southern regions of China although the actual taste and appearance of these can vary by a lot from the original version from Taiwan. The oyster omelette is a Taiwan "night market favorite",^[1] and has constantly been ranked by many foreigners as the top cuisine from Taiwan. Its generous proportions and affordable price demonstrates the trait of night market cuisines. It is also popular in other places with Chaozhou and Fujianese influences such as in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Thailand.

Ingredients

The dish consists of an omelette with a filling primarily composed of small oysters. Starch (typically potato starch) is mixed into the egg batter, giving the resulting egg wrap a thicker consistency. Pork lard is often used to fry the omelette. Depending on regional variation, a savory sauce may then be poured on top of the omelette for added taste.

Spicy or chili sauce mixed with lime juice is often added to provide an intense taste.

Shrimp can sometimes be substituted in place of oysters; in this case, it is called shrimp omelettes (蝦仁煎).

Names

In the Chinese language, "oyster omelette" is known by various names in different geographical areas.

Chinese name	Pronunciations in different spoken variations	Geographical areas that use such a name
蚵仔煎	In Taiwanese: ô-á-chiān In Mandarin: ézǎi jiān	Taiwan and part of Fujian
蚝煎	In Cantonese: hou4 dzin1 In Mandarin: háo jiān In Hokkien: o-chian	Malaysia and Singapore
牡蛎煎	In Mandarin: mǔlì jiān	most areas of mainland China
煎蠔餅	In Cantonese: dzin1 hou4 beng2 In Hakka: jien hao biang In Mandarin: jiān háobǐng	Hong Kong, Macau and nearby area in Guangdong
蠔仔餅	In Cantonese: hou4 zai2 beng2 In Hakka: hao zhai biang In Mandarin: háozǎi bǐng	Hong Kong, Macau and nearby area in Guangdong
蠔仔煎	In Cantonese: hou4 zai2 dzin In Mandarin: háozǎi jiān	Hong Kong, Macau and nearby area in Guangdong
蠔烙	In Teochew: oh-luak	in Teochew Restaurants, e.g. in the US

See also

• Hangtown fry
• List of Chinese dishes
• List of egg dishes
• List of seafood dishes
• Food portal

References

1. "Oyster omelet the nation's favorite". Taipei Times. staff w/ CNA. 2 June 2007. p. 2. Archived from the original on 24 Sep 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2015.