Cured mullet roe, not unlike the Mediterranean bottarga, is a popular and pricy delicacy in Taiwan. No wonder then, that it is this fish that fishers in Taiwan hope to see in their nets.
Fishers in Chiayi County pull nets full of today’s catch from the water. The bins around them are also filled to the brim with fish - the highly prized flathead grey mullet. The catch belongs to Mr. Chen, but there is so much of it that he has to ask for assistance. He can’t help but grin with glee looking at his sudden windfall.
On Wednesday morning Mr. Chen managed to catch around 4,000 mullet in the waters just outside Budai Harbor, setting a new record. The fishers say their catch is usually nowhere near this bountiful.
The fish are plump and healthy, with a large percentage of females. Those are especially prized for their roe, which, when cured, becomes a Taiwanese delicacy known as wuyuzi, not dissimilar to the Mediterranean bottarga.
The peak of mullet fishing season is still a month away, so where did this bounty come from? Well, scientists say it might be related to changes in the oceans, which caused the fish to migrate early. Mr. Chen, on the other hand, is just happy at this sudden stroke of luck.