Deep-fried Crickets
The taste of fried shrimp!? Deep delicacy of Tainan and Xinhua stuffed and fried sweet potatoes
Description
An insect food featuring a shrimp-like savoriness, where edible-raised crickets (Xishuai) are stuffed with sweet potato strips in their bellies and deep-fried ultra-crispy at high temp.
Restaurants serving Deep-fried Crickets
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On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Edible crickets(Xishuai)
- Sweet potato
- Pepper salt
- Taiwanese basil
- Frying oil
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Cricket Prep (Expert Skill)] Prepare large crickets hygienically raised for food on farms in Xinhua, Tainan.
- Remove the back wings and hard hind legs.
- [Stuffing Sweet Potato] Remove a bit of the cricket's belly (organs) and firmly insert a 'matchstick-thin slice of raw sweet potato (Digua)' (a genius technique where the potato erases organ odor and adds fluffy sweetness).
- Heat 180°C+ oil.
- Drop the potato-stuffed crickets into the oil, frying thoroughly until golden and 'ultra-crunchy'.
- Drain, sprinkle generously with pepper salt (Jiao Yan Fen), and garnish with flash-fried Taiwanese basil to finish.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Taiwanese basil and shrimp-like crustacean savoriness
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Fried baby shrimp (closest in texture and flavor)
Pairing
High ABV Kaoliang liquor or Cold Beer
Trivia
[Hardcore] 'Insect food' sounds bizarre, but it's a traditional food loved historically as a snack/drink side in Tainan's Xinhua district. The taste is entirely 'savory whole-fried shrimp/crab', with the stuffed sweet potato's sweetness adding an exquisite accent. The ultimate destination of deep Taiwan tourism.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Close your eyes to the grotesque visual, convince yourself it's 'fried shrimp', and crunch it with your back teeth along with the sweet potato's sweetness!
Allergen
(May cause reactions similar to crustacean allergy)