At the table
Open the pouch with a spoon or chopsticks, draw some noodles into the sauce, then eat them with the tofu and fish-paste cap. Let a small portion cool before taking a bite.
Contains fish, soy and, in this version, pork. Soy-based seasonings may contain wheat; ask about the fish paste and sauce if you have dietary restrictions.
A lightly sauced version is mildly chili-hot, but sauces and amounts vary. Tofu on the outside does not make the fish-filled snack vegetarian.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Some versions use a different noodle filling or sauce; pork is not universal. Coriander may be added.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savory soy and shallot flavors, with sweetness and mild chili heat from the sauce.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Soft, springy tofu and fish paste around slippery, tender glass noodles.
- How it’s made
- The noodle-and-pork filling is cooked with seasonings, stuffed into hollowed fried tofu, sealed with fish paste and steamed.
Some versions use a different noodle filling or sauce; pork is not universal. Coriander may be added.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Taiwan.
About this regional connection
Taiwan: Tamsui local tofu/vermicelli/fish-paste snack.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有淡水阿給吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A tofu pouch associated with Tamsui
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
The name a-gei comes from the Japanese word for fried tofu. In Tamsui, the filled, fish-paste-sealed pouch became a distinctive local snack; different shops season the noodles and sauce differently.