Where can I find Isopods or 等足? I've been looking all over!

From my research, they are eaten in Northern Taiwan(please see below) but I haven’t been able to find a single location. Can someone here please help me?

Thanks!

“Giant isopods are of little interest to most commercial fisheries owing to the typical scarcity of catches and because ensnared isopods are usually scavenged beyond marketability before they are recovered. However, in northern Taiwan and other areas, they are not uncommon at seaside restaurants, served boiled and bisected with a clean lateral slice.”

I’ve only seen them in Lugang in Central Taiwan. Personally I said, uh uh. :slight_smile: Never noticed up these parts.

Hmmm I think what I saw in Lugang was these little puppies

蝦猴

Looked around the net a bit for isopods but did not have any success.

I know its old thread but very curious. Any idea what family or genus you are asking about it? Lots if different isopods about, including boat loads in our forests and gardens. Curious what you saw.

Shedloads on the rocks north of Baishawan.

Are they edible types?

No idea. I wouldn’t eat them myself. But then I’m a bear.

Can’t promise they sold it here, but I’d try this port:

At least they used to sell horseshoe crabs.

Then you can try luck here:

However, why do you want to eat giant cookroaches?

1 Like

I study bugs as food and find it quite interesting. I’m not really into marine invertebrates much but want to learn what’s accepted here.

Aaaaah. Ok. Well, as you already know, they are not widely used as food… but go to the places I said.

1 Like

Cheers.

Though you might surprised at the local bugs eaten. Aside from the normal stuff like squid, prawns, clams etc, things like crickets, bee larva and snails amongst others are pretty socially acceptable here. We are no se asia or Africa yet, but we are also far more open than many western countries who are coming around to the realities of protein sustainability

i was told recently of cicada harvesting in Changhua.

I may be wrong, but I believe cicada are collected for.fungi cultivation not food. But would be interesting to.know if they are eating them. Doubt it though, that’s way to crunchy…

really? i’ve only seen a few night market stands that sold insects,bugs etc but i never saw anyone actually buying anything there. and i never met someone here who’d crave for crispy crickets or whatever. those stands looked to me more like a freak show or a test of courage

Yum! or should I say Tums?

I’ve seen a couple of snail restaurants.

I guess you 're talking about 海戰車 (the Chinese name means sea tank), which is not Giant isopods.

normal_497ee12b614758701097233_fce1239a44_b

8702215646_2fbf4c0238_b

I am sorry, the red one on the left is 蝦蛄, the one on the right is 海戰車。

I have no idea what these giant aquatic woodlice are, but go to a fish market and ask. It will take a few days, but at the right price they will source them. If you can’t do it yourself get a Taiwanese friend to ask. Then you may get it cheaper.

I think they are slipper lobsters.