Wang’an pickled gourd – a local delicacy

Come to Wang’an in Penghu between June and July, you will see the early mornings come alive with residents harvesting a rather unique fruit, which resembles an oversized gherkin. Resident Hsu Pi-zeng says that this pickling gourd is unique to Wang’an and that just about everyone in grows it. The average family pickles the gourd for their own consumption, but with an ever-increasing demand from tourists, pickled gourd is now produced in large quantities and has become an important source of income for Wang’an residents.

Should one mention pickled gourd on the island, then the name of expert producer Hsu Pi-zeng will certainly crop up. Each morning, Mr. Hsu rides his motorcycle to the fields and harvests the required amount of gourds for pickling. After returning home the gourds are slices and then laid out in the sun for drying. With an ever-increasing demand for this delicious product, Mr. Hsu’s wife now provides a much-needed helping hand, and has even invented a novel gourd-cutting tool. One may have assumed that spreading the gourd out in the sun for drying is easy work, but the gourd slices must be laid out one by one, making the job extremely laborious.

Mr. Hsu warns customers that the pickled gourd is full of gas and therefore one must always remember to "deflate" the bottle first. This is done by gently loosening the bottle top, thereby allowing the gas to slowly dissipate. Without this step, the pickled gourd can turn into a "pickled-gourd bomb", the force of which is formidable. If one is careless at this stage, the picked-gourd contents may well end up spread over the entire kitchen ceiling.

Eaten raw, Wang’an pickled gourd is crispy and delicious with a wonderful cucumber fragrance, similar to German pickled gherkins. No matter whether it is used with scrambled eggs, in hot pots or with fresh fish, the delectable sweet and sour taste is recognizable in the dish. In the summer, it is simply the best appetizer, and the tourists who come to Wang’an are sure to taste this exquisite local delicacy.

PeoPo 公民新聞

Wang’an pickled gourd – a local delicacy (by CJ showchi)
URL: http://www.peopo.org/news/98650

(以下是中文對照)

照片

望安特產越瓜 做成酸瓜最佳伴手禮 ( 澎湖代 )( showchi)

在五、六月的時候，來到澎湖望安，一大早就會看到居民們到田裡採收這一條條看起來相當獨特的瓜果，看起來像是大一號的小黃瓜，居民許丕增說，這叫做越瓜， 只有望安才有。越瓜，望安鄉民眾幾乎戶戶皆種植，一般家庭都醃來自己吃，但也有因為因應觀光客需要，而大量醃製。越瓜現在已經成為望安人的經濟作物。

提起酸瓜仔，就不得不知道望安島上的這位酸瓜醃製達人──許丕增，每天一早，許大哥都騎著機車到田裡摘取所需醃製的越瓜數量，接著回家切片，再拿到曝曬場 上一片片鋪好、晒乾。由於製作數量愈來愈多，酸瓜達人的助手也是他老婆還自創切越瓜的工具，切完後立刻一片一片放置讓太陽曬，這還不能偷懶喔！非得一片片 鋪好不可。

發酵熟成的酸瓜仔，是充滿氣體的，因此許丕增說取用前一定記得要先「放氣」，也就是先微微旋鬆瓶蓋，讓氣體慢慢流溢出來，沒經過這個步驟而直接開瓶，「酸瓜炸彈」的威力可是十分驚人的，一不小心，就會噴得到處都是，就曾經有人噴到整個天花板都是。

望安酸瓜，生吃香脆可口，味道類似德國酸黃瓜，酸甘中帶有一股瓜果清芳，不論是用來炒蛋、炒小管、燉排骨、煮鮮魚等，隨意融入各種菜色中都能發揮酸甘的味覺特色，是夏日的最佳開胃好菜，現在遊客來到望安，一定都會點上一道酸瓜料理。

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