Matsu Fish Noodles

Matsu Fish Noodles are a traditional dried noodle handmade from roughly 60% fresh fish paste (commonly eel, croaker, or Spanish mackerel) and 40% tapioca starch, then air- and sun-dried — a Lunar New Year staple on Matsu's dinner table. In Beigan's Tangqi Village, a veteran maker's hands are dusted white as he kneads block after block of fish-paste dough, rolls it thin, cuts it into strips, and lays them out on bamboo trays to dry. A catty takes half a day to make; bite in and the noodles hold their shape and carry fresh sea flavor even after long cooking — a rare island artisan craft.

Fish noodles are handmade from roughly 60% fresh fish paste (commonly eel, croaker, or Spanish mackerel) and 40% tapioca starch — a preservation technique developed in the pre-refrigeration era when Matsu's catch was abundant, and still a must-eat dish for Lunar New Year. Beigan is the main production and retail hub, while Nangan mostly sells it during the summer tourist season; Beigan's Yuzhixiang Fish Noodle Shop received a YouTube-judge recommendation (a separate category, not the official award list) from the food guide '500 Bowls.'

What Are Matsu Fish Noodles

Matsu Fish Noodles are dried noodles made from approximately 60% fresh fish meat (mainly eel, mackerel, or shark) combined with approximately 40% tapioca starch. The process involves skinning and deboning the fish, grinding the flesh into a paste, kneading it with the starch to form dough, rolling it into thin sheets, cutting it into strips, and then air-drying or sun-drying. The finished product is white with a fish fragrance and can be served in soup or stir-fried. Its defining trait is that it holds up to cooking without going mushy and carries its own seafood flavor, requiring little seasoning.

Fish noodles originated from a processing technique developed in Matsu's early years to preserve surplus fish catch — a concrete example of island-life ingenuity. The Lienchiang County government lists it as a representative Matsu specialty; all four townships and five islands promote it, with Beigan's Tangqi Village as the main production center. Long-established shops such as Yuzhixiang Fish Noodle Shop and Apo Fish Noodles maintain handmade methods. In the inaugural "500 Bowls" evaluation of 2023, Matsu Fish Noodles were selected as the representative Matsu noodle dish — one of the few Matsu items well known to diners on the main island of Taiwan.

How to Eat It Like a Local

Local Know-How

Data compiled from the Lienchiang County Tourism Bureau, Matsu Distillery, and a large volume of public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with the channel's exclusive footage after Dio's on-site shoot.