Taiwan’s Matsu Islands, located less than 9 km from Fuzhou, China, are the only site of mussel farming in Taiwan. The course of the Chinese Civil War significantly altered the fate of these islands, consequently influencing the culinary landscape of Taiwan. In episode 2 of Frontline Residents, we explore how Matsu mussels became a signature dish representing the Taiwanese nation. Before the Chinese Civil War, Matsu’s five islands belonged to three separate counties of the Republic of China (ROC), based in Fujian. During the war, the ROC lost ground to Communist forces and abandoned control of Fujian, but stopped the Communist army in Matsu. In this way, Matsu, Kinmen, and Penghu became the Taiwan (ROC) government’s closest territories to Communist China. Today, Matsu is Taiwan’s northernmost territory. Matsu resident Chih Jui-yin takes advantage of Matsu’s unique geographic location to farm mussels off the coast of Matsu’s Nangan Island. Matsu is the only place in Taiwan where mussels are farmed, and Chih Jui-yin’s mussels have garnered acclaim for their impressive size and excellent flavor. With the help of his friend Shih Pei-yin, Chih carries on the legacy of his younger brother Chih Hao, who, before his passing, took great pride in Matsu’s mussels and hoped they could one day become a recognized symbol of Taiwan. Since Chih Hao’s death, his friends’ confit mussels have gone on to be recognized at Taiwan’s National Day Banquet, where they were served to foreign dignitaries and praised by President Tsai Ing-wen. Although the Chih brothers’ mussels have become a symbol of Taiwan’s sovereignty, as a fisher in the Taiwan Strait, Chih Jui-yin is still constantly reminded of the threat of war with China. His daily life, like that of many Matsu residents, is intimately tied to China, a place he often visits to shop and see friends. This story of Matsu’s mussels lets us glimpse the complex relationship Matsu has to both Taiwan and China. Watch the full episode to hear from Matsu residents how the legacies of war affect their approaches to life and work on the Matsu Islands.