"Gongliao abalone" refers to the small abalone and ormer farmed in Gongliao District, New Taipei City. The main production season runs from November to March and has long met the demands of restaurants in the north and all over Taiwan. This is an important delicacy from the northeast coast and in order to promote the food culture of northeast coast fishing villages and develop local tourism, the Administration teamed up with local operator-Xianwu Benpu to hold the "Northeast Coast Gongliao Abalone Collecting and Cooking Competition" on Friday, December 10, 2021. After divers entered the water to collect small abalone marking the beginning of Gongliao abalone production season, the newly collected small abalone were also displayed to participants and compared to common abalone. The event invited local groups to organize 5 cooking competition teams to showcase home-cooking skills with small abalone from daily life on the northeast coast, using simple cooking techniques that are different from those in restaurants and ensure the unique deliciousness of small abalone can be enjoyed by more people.
The head of Gongliao District, secretary of Gongliao District Fishermen's Association and local village chiefs were invited to attend the event. Director Ma Whei-Da of the Administration said: "Tourism promotion is about food, accommodation, travel and shopping and transportation. Local Gongliao abalone is an indispensable part of northeast coast tourism, which is why we hold this event, hoping to give everyone a different view of small abalone and expand the horizon of fishing village delicacies".
At the end of the event, about 200 participants tasted the food, filled out the voting sheets indicating their favorite team and placed it in the voting box. Qiyuan Natural Cuisine team was declared the winner, with its use of plum sauce mixed with fermented wine, paired with lightly cooked small abalone. People tasting the dish said its special sweet and sour flavor with seafood was instantly addictive, and were keen to cook it at home. The runner-up and the third-place teams cooked with five-flavored spring onions and dry-fried garlic respectively, which are easy to use but still delicious, and unforgettable.
The original aim of the event was not only to promote Gongliao abalone, but also to encourage tourists to embrace an alternative way of enjoying Gongliao abalone dishes other than at seafood restaurants. People who visit the northeast coast and even those who drive through the area can buy well-packaged fresh Gongliao abalone and enjoy the unique northeast delicacy on returning home.
