A-gei facts for kids
Ageh (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: á-geh) or Tamsui ageh (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tām-súi á-geh) is a special and tasty food from Tamsui District in New Taipei City, Taiwan. It's like a delicious package! Ageh is made from a piece of fried tofu that's been carefully stuffed with cooked Cellophane noodles (also known as glass noodles). Then, it's sealed up with a paste made from fish (called surimi). You can find Ageh sold by many vendors in the Tamsui area. The name "Ageh" actually comes from a Japanese word, aburaage, which means fried tofu.
The Story of Ageh
How Ageh Was Invented
Ageh was first created in 1965 by a clever lady named Iông-tēⁿ Gím-bûn. She had a food stall on Chin-lí street and decided to mix different foods she sold to make something new and exciting.
Her original Ageh was made from fried tofu that had its middle scooped out. This empty space was then filled with glass noodles cooked in a tasty sauce with ground pork. The opening was sealed and covered with a mix of carrot and surimi. Finally, the whole thing was steamed until it was perfectly cooked.
This dish uses ideas from several other foods:
- Stuffing fried tofu is similar to how inarizushi (a type of sushi) is made.
- Adding surimi on top of tofu is like making Yong tau foo, another popular dish.
- Using glass noodles as a filling is common in many stuffed pastries.
How to Enjoy Ageh
Ageh is usually served with a special sauce. This can be a simple soy-based sauce or a sweet chili sauce. People often eat Ageh with a bowl of stuffed fish ball soup when it's cold outside. In the summer, a glass of cold soy milk is a popular drink to go with it.
Where to Find Ageh
If you visit Tamsui, you'll find many places selling Ageh. Some of the well-known vendors include:
- Original store a-gei (老店阿給)
- Three sisters a-gei (三姊妹阿給)
- Wenhua a-gei (文化阿給)
