What it is
Golden sand squid (金沙軟絲) is bigfin reef squid (軟絲, Sepioteuthis lessoniana) coated in salted duck egg yolk. On Taiwanese menus golden sand (金沙) marks any dish cooked with crushed yolk, which clings in grainy golden bits. The squid stays springy and tender under a salty, savoury coating. A cuttlefish version is sold as 金沙花枝.
Where it came from
Salted duck eggs have long been eaten with congee and baked into mooncakes, where the yolk stands for the moon. Using the yolk as a coating for fried food belongs to a wider family of dishes. Cantonese cooks make similar golden (黃金) prawns and pork ribs, and salted egg fish skin is said to have come from Singapore. In Taiwan, crushed yolk stir-fried into golden sand dishes is a favourite, and the flavour has spread to crisps, instant noodles and ice cream.
How it is made
Salted duck eggs are cured in brine or packed one by one in damp, salted charcoal, which leaves the yolk firm, rich and orange-red. For golden sand dishes the cooked yolk is crushed and worked with plenty of butter or oil, so the paste stays moist and coats well. The seafood, often fried first, is tossed through it at the end.
How to eat it
The salty coating calls for plain rice, so order a bowl alongside and share the plate with the table at a seafood restaurant. Ask for 金沙軟絲 for squid or 金沙花枝 for cuttlefish.
Around Taiwan
- Tainan
- Black-faced Spoonbill Canteen (黑琵食堂) sits among fish ponds in Qigu (七股), inside the spoonbills' protected area, where the birds feed from September to May. Run by a local aquaculture business, it began as a staff canteen. Golden sand squid shares the menu with milkfish and clams from the owner's farm.
