Raw Tomato with Ginger Juice along Cijin Old Street @ Kaohsiung City in Taiwan

While researching for things to do and eat at Kaohsiung City, I chanced upon an island known as Qijin / Cijin, and one of the must eats was said to be raw tomatoes dipped in ginger juice! 

Now that's a strange edible conception but since tomatoes were said to be super healthy and I am not totally resistant to drinking raw tomato juice, with honey that is; I guess it would be worth a try, at just NT$70 (about S$3) a serving. 

Preparation for the tomato was so easy that I could have done myself; please be assured that I am fully capable of slicing open a fresh tomato and cut it into bite-sized pieces. 

Key to this dish was the sauce; I had assumed it was juice from the ginger but it appeared to be more like thick soy sauce or even sugar syrup. Now, dipping slices of raw tomato in sugar syrup would be quite similar to my tomato juice with honey, I feel.

One question; could I eat the tomato with the skin? It's supposedly "rich in beneficial antioxidants like lycopene" and it's only when cooked that the taste turned bitter. Well, raw should be fine then.

What I was more surprised to see was the small bowl of sauce. It had added ingredients like grated ginger (seemed more like granular ginger essence) and a powdery stuff I assumed was starch although online sources mentioned it could have been icing sugar. 

A thorough mix was necessary. 

Work those fingers, with a toothpick! 

Don't just dip; better to soak the raw tomato for a few seconds before throwing it into your mouth! To be honest, it was an acceptable taste; sweet with a touch of saltiness and a strong dose of ginger that was surprisingly not spicy. 

I would think some might prefer to just dip the tomato in honey although there could be variations across the many stalls along the Cijin Old Street. For me, I am neutral and treat it as a unique experience, and not something I would reject given that the nutritional benefits of having raw tomatoes! 

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Address

No 127, Miaoqian Rd, 

Qijin District, Kaohsiung City, 

Taiwan (along Cijin Old Street)

Pricing

One Serving - N$70

Click HERE for 11 Days, 10 Nights Taiwan Trip: Summarised Itinerary for Chiayi Alishan (嘉义阿里山) - Kaohsiung (高雄) - Tainan (台南) - Taichung (臺中)