The Fisheries Agency is working with fishermen”s associations to promote fresh, local, seasonal catches in Taiwan. Fishermen in Taitung recently worked with a top chef to show how their catch can support an haute cuisine feast. Demand for fish is down since the coronavirus hit, but the industry hopes it won”t stay that way for long.
The chef takes his knife and meat tenderizer to the salted fish, chiseling through 5 centimeters of salt to reveal a delicious mahi-mahi. The audience is swooning.
A fish steak doused in butter sizzles on the hot plate, and it’s finished off with tamarind lemon sauce.
Chiang Kun-song
Head chef
The mahi-mahi is quite a lean fish, because it’s migratory. It releases a wonderful scent when boiled, and tastes even better with some Western-style dressings.
The mahi-mahi is served as steak and fish cakes, then a savory cake swiss roll. The creative menu amazed customers.
Chang Chih-cheng
Fisheries Agency head
The mahi-mahi is extremely high quality. Overseas it is served in top-end restaurants. We hope this can establish Taiwan origin mahi-mahi as a brand.
Mahi-mahi, also known as dolphinfish, has tender flesh and is full of protein and vitamin B12. It’s an important species for Taitung fishermen, who earn almost NT$170 million from the species annually. Taiwan’s restaurants are using less fish in the wake of the coronavirus, and export cargo costs have risen exponentially. That’s hit fishermen hard.
Chen Chun-ming
Xingang Fishermen’s Assoc., Taitung
We’re supporting fishermen to increase the value of their fish products. We’ve also produced lots of products including mahi-mahi crisps, fillets, and frozen mahi-mahi flakes.
Fishermen’s associations are drumming up demand for local catches in Taiwan, so that this vital part of the rural economy makes it through 2020 alive.
