Oyster Omelette & Recovery of Taiwan from VOC Dutch East Indies Company in 1662 by Koxinga 鄭成功 • 國姓爺

The Ming dynasty of China (1368 - 1644) fell to the Manchurian Qing dynasty from the north while European seapowers were lodged at China's doorstep. The Portuguese at Macau, the Spanish at Luzon (Philippines) and the Dutch occupied Formosa (today's Taiwan) since 1624.

Zheng Cheng Kong 鄭成功 who called himself Koxinga 國姓爺 led a Ming loyalist movement / rebellion to resist the Manchurians. His campaign in 1659 to retake Nanjing from the Manchurians failed. Koxinga retreated south to Xiamen but needed a new base which was defensible and yet could serve as a launch pad for future campaigns against the Manchurians.

He set his sights on Taiwan.

In 1661, Koxinga launched a campaign to expel the Dutch from Taiwan.

The VOC or Dutch East India Company had established Fort Zeelandia in Provintia (Anping) of Tainan, Taiwan in 1624, then known as Formosa. Provintia was in south Taiwan while the Spanish had lodged themselves in north Taiwan at today's Tamsui (near Taipei).

The Dutch drove the Spaniards off Taiwan in 1642 leaving only themselves to rule the island.

In 1661, Koxinga sailed from Xiamen and laid a siege around the Dutch fort. The Dutch had anticipated this and had earlier stockpiled supplies, especially food inside the fort, leaving nothing outside.

Koxinga had 25,000 troops to feed. A daunting task. Rice, in particular, was in short supply.

According to food lore, Koxinga came up with an oyster pancake dish made with just oysters from the rocky shores and starch from sweet potato which is a fast growing root which is easy to grow even in poor soil.

Thus, the oil fried oyster pancake was born - protein and calcium rich oysters held together by carbo loaded sweet potato starch.

With the oyster pancake, Koxinga's forces outlasted the besieged Dutch, eventually attacking and subduing the foreigners who surrendered to Koxinga in 1662.

The eggy version we know today which first appeared in the early 1900s in Taiwan was made by adding eggs to the basic oyster and sweet potato starch dish.

Today, oyster pancake 海蛎煎 is ubiquitous in Taiwan, Fujian, Chaoshan region of Guangdong as well as in Southeast Asia or wherever Hokkien and Teochew people are, around the world.