see food

It's hardly a secret that Taiwan is a seafood playground, but I never cease to be amazed when I'm out and about at just how abundant all that deliciousness is. Piles of fish everywhere! Lobsters? Take one for the road! I took this photo of a vendor in Kending, swimming in a veritable sea of shrimp. (She gave me permission to take her photo, by the way, although I know the scowl suggests otherwise. I think she was just very focused on not drowning in her insane pile of shrimp.)

I have consumed sea creatures prepared in every conceivable fashion in Taiwan--raw, fried, steamed, boiled, poached,etc. But I must admit I always take pause when it's time to try the dried stuff. The vendor above touted fabulous wares but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Why? Do I lack a sense of adventure? I love dried squid and those little tiny crunchy shrimp that find their way into vegetable dishes...what's my deal? Also, can anyone identify the fish-object on the left? It's round and flat and sort of flounderish-but-flounder-seems-too-obvious? I suppose if I were really a thrill-seeker, I would have ordered the shark I saw outside one restaurant...

They were indeed the definition of fresh--blood was still dripping from their teeth. You know, the BLOOD OF THE LAST PERSON WHO TRIED TO EAT THEM. Maybe I'll stick to the dried stuff after all.