Squids can be found in all coastal areas in Taiwan, but these Penghu squids are renowned to taste the best. Every year, between May and the time of Mid-Autumn Festival (September), the squid season is in. Other than cooking freshly caught squids, the most common way to process them would be sun-drying. After the squids are thoroughly removed of intestines and cleaned, they are left to dry for a few days so they can be kept for use in winter days. Salted squid, another marine product common in Penghu, is made using smaller sized squids. These squids are not the "sashimi kind" that is commonly seen in seafood restaurants. They are boiled in salted water before wind-dried and frozen, and can thus be kept fresh for over one year. This way, the sweet flavors of squids may still be savored during the non-fishing seasons. Locals like to eat them with rice porridge.
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