Yuzhenzhai is a well-known traditional pastry shop in Lukang, established during the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu era. Not only do its pastries preserve classic flavors, but even the storefront is a beautiful traditional Taiwanese house. Its signature pastries include mung bean cake, lard-flavored twists, crispy layered cakes, and phoenix-eye cakes. In recent years, it has also developed the “Phoenix Crisp,” which combines pineapple filling with a hint of salted egg yolk, resulting in a sweet and refreshing taste...
Lukang is close to the sea, so the oysters produced here are fresh and plump. Especially when enjoying oyster omelettes and oyster soup in Lukang, the generous portion of tender oysters is unmatched elsewhere. With over 30 years of history, Huihong Oyster Omelette is a well-known old shop in front of the Tianhou Temple. It prides itself on using fresh and high-quality ingredients, paired with homemade sweet sauce, making this delicious snack a local favorite. (Changhua County…)
Stir-fried Five Flavors is a uniquely flavorful soup. It combines five ingredients—shrimp, squid, shredded pork, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots—that are first seasoned and cooked individually before being stir-fried together and thickened into a savory broth. What looks like an ordinary bowl of soup delivers a burst of “five distinct flavors” that are aromatic, sweet, and delicious. Paired with spare ribs rice, it makes for a satisfying and well-balanced meal. (Changhua…)
Black Meat Noodles also got its name from the founder’s nickname. Though called Black Meat Noodles, what most diners love nowadays is actually the braised spare ribs. It turns out that when Black Meat Noodles reached the second generation, the founder’s children and daughters-in-law researched and developed a version of braised spare ribs that were tender, juicy, and uniquely flavorful. Unexpectedly, the response from customers was overwhelmingly positive, and the reputation of the spare ribs even surpassed that of the original...
As the founding establishment of Changhua rice balls, it has a history of over 50 years. The making of Changhua rice balls is unique: rice milk made from non-glutinous rice is steamed and then mixed with sweet potato starch. It is poured into shallow, medium-sized bowls, filled with rich ingredients such as lean pork, shredded bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and egg yolks, then steamed in a bamboo steamer, and finally deep-fried in oil—resulting in this famous snack that has been beloved for half a century…
Changhua County has long been the rice granary of central Taiwan, blessed with abundant produce and a prosperous populace, which has given rise to many local delicacies. In addition, Lukang, located within the county, was once a major port during the Qing Dynasty, attracting merchants from all over who brought their regional snacks with them. As a result, Changhua snacks remain renowned to this day. Many of these snacks come from long-established shops, with rice balls (肉圆) being the most famous. Notable examples include the rice ball shops on Chenling Road such as Changhua Rice Balls, Ah Zhang Rice Balls, and those near the Guotaozi underpass exit on Minsheng Road, as well as Beimenkou Rice Balls on Zhongzheng Road. The historic “Black Meat Noodles” shop near Kongmen Road is famed for its signature black meat noodles and flavorful, chewy pork rib rice. The oddly named Cat and Mouse Noodles on Chang’an Street may sound unusual, but the taste is extraordinary, making it another local favorite. Changhua City has several night markets where visitors can explore authentic, hearty local flavors. The busiest is the night market at the intersection of Yongle Street and Taiping Street, offering popular snacks like Wenbu glutinous rice cake soup, Zhaoji Vegetarian, and milkfish rice noodles. The food stalls along Chenling Road near the train station mostly operate as storefronts, serving not only the famous rice balls and Cat and Mouse Noodles but also Changhua vegetarian dishes. The snack area on Zhonghua Road at the entrance of Bagua Mountain Scenic Area has seen a decline in scale after urban redevelopment, but its signature treat — Park Taro Ice — remains a top choice for locals seeking relief from the summer heat. Beyond Changhua City, nearby towns also offer mouthwatering regional snacks, such as Beidou Rice Balls, Yuanlin’s Baodou Rice Balls, three-generation family recipes for leek cake, and the lamb shops along the outer ring road of Xihu — all worth trying. (Changhua County)
Changhua rice balls are widely known, but the rice balls produced in another part of Changhua County—Beidou rice balls—not only rival those from Changhua but also have a longer history. In most regions of Taiwan, rice balls are shaped like those in Changhua: round and emphasizing thin skin and generous filling. In contrast, Beidou rice balls are shaped like golden ingots, with thick skins and simpler fillings—the two are completely different. The unique shape of Beidou rice balls comes from being hand-molded, and locals enjoy their chewy and tender outer layer, so they don’t mind if the filling is not particularly abundant. The outer skin of Beidou rice balls is made from sweet potato starch sourced from the Zhuoshui River basin, resulting in a beautiful color and a Q-textured bite. The steamed rice balls can be eaten cooled or pan-fried until hot, then seasoned with cilantro, mashed garlic, soy sauce, and other condiments to become a popular snack. They’re even better when served with a bowl of “meatball tofu soup.” Currently, several rice ball stalls gather around Dian’an Temple in Beidou Town, and among them, “Rice Ball Sheng,” located near the intersection of Zhonghua Road and Fuxing Road, is the most famous. With a three-generation history, it’s a well-established Beidou rice ball brand and has the best reputation. (Changhua County)
Located next to the Tianhou Temple, Changxing Food Store is best known for its Beef Tongue Pastry and Longan Crisp. The Longan Crisp is a newly popular pastry in Lukang, made by turning flour into thin threads that are layered around fillings such as radish and taro, then deep-fried. It gets its name from its resemblance to a longan fruit. (Changhua County)…
A family-run shop with nearly a century of history, passed down through three generations, specializing in handmade crystal dumplings, steamed meatballs, and other pastries. Especially popular are their delicate crystal dumplings, with a skin made from sweet potato starch and glutinous rice flour, and a filling of pork mixed with a unique secret ingredient. Once cooked, the translucent skins hold a bowl of aroma-rich dim sum, served in a flavorful bone broth. However,…
Cat and Mouse Noodles contain neither cat nor mouse meat. The name originates from the founder, Chen Muerong, whose nickname was “Mouse.” The noodles he sold were called “Mouse Noodles,” which, when rendered in Mandarin, became “Cat and Mouse Noodles.” Essentially, Cat and Mouse Noodles are a smaller portion of sliced noodles with more refined seasonings. The meat sauce broth is made by long-simmering pork bones, clams, flatfish, and meat floss...
Located in the small town of Shetou in Changhua County, adjacent to the Bagua Mountain Range, Shetou is particularly abundant in guava as one of its key agricultural specialties—its guavas are large and sweet. Guava is available year-round, but the ones in November are the sweetest. Most farmland in Shetou is dedicated to growing guava, making the harvest season an ideal time to savor their crisp and delicious taste. …
Rice Ball is the founding old shop of Changhua Rice Balls, boasting a history of over 50 years. The making of Changhua Rice Balls is unique: rice milk made from non-glutinous rice is steamed, then mixed with sweet potato starch, poured into shallow medium-sized bowls, and filled with generous ingredients such as lean pork, shredded bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and egg yolks. It is then steamed in a bamboo steamer and finally deep-fried in oil to become the renowned snack that has been celebrated for half a century…
Yuzhenzhai is a renowned traditional pastry shop in Lukang, established during the Qing Dynasty’s Guangxu era. Not only does it preserve the classic flavors of its baked goods, but even its storefront is a beautiful old-style house. Its signature pastries include mung bean cake, lard-flavored preserved plum, crispy layered pastry, and phoenix eye cake. In recent years, it has developed the “Phoenix Pastry,” which combines pineapple filling with a hint of salted egg yolk—offering a sweet and refreshing taste...
Changxing Food Store, located next to Tianhou Temple, is best known for its Ox Tongue Pastry and Longan Crisp. The Longan Crisp is a newly popular pastry in Lukang. It is made by turning flour into thin threads and layering them around fillings such as radish and taro, which are then deep-fried. It gets its name from its resemblance to a longan fruit. …
Vegetarian noodles are the signature dish at Zhaoji Vegetarian. Though the shop may not look impressive, once you've tried it, you'll find yourself coming back again and again. In addition to their famous dry and soup versions of vegetarian noodles, the Mixed Soup is also exceptional. The Mixed Soup starts with a broth simmered from shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and bean greens, then adds tofu, fried tofu, tofu skin, rolled tofu skin, and vegetarian chicken, paired…
For 40 years without change, a pushcart and a few small stools—Park Taro Ice is one of the most refreshing memories for many people in Changhua. The ice is smooth and the ingredients are authentic, whether it’s the sugar, taro, mung beans, milk… everything is made with genuine quality. Among them, taro ice sells the best and is the signature treat. (Changhua County)…
Prawns Monkey Introduction: Scientifically known as "虾蛅" (xiā zhān), it is a specialty of Lukang and is often sold in small baskets. The Prawns Monkey has a peculiar appearance, with a head resembling a mole cricket (called "肚猴" in Taiwanese) and a tail like a shrimp—hence its name. After being salt-cured, it turns red and is extremely salty, leading to the local proverb: "One 'Prawns Monkey' goes with three bowls of porridge." It used to be…
Bean skin is made by grinding soybeans into a paste, boiling it with water, then carefully skimming the thin film that forms on the surface. Common preparations include vegetarian bean buns or sliced bean skin stir-fried with shredded pork. However, Tiansong Snack Shop simmers bean skin together with shredded bamboo shoots, carrots, shredded pork, and crispy duck egg, thickens the mixture with starch, and just before serving, adds a few drops of black vinegar to create a tender...
Made with carefully selected high-viscosity Xiluo glutinous rice, which is washed, steamed, and stirred before being wrapped with various fillings, resulting in mochi that is soft, smooth, and not sticky to the teeth. In addition to a variety of sweet mochi flavors, the savory options filled with shredded bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and meat chunks offer a unique taste that is very popular. (Yunlin County)...
In Shuilin Township, there's a man nicknamed "Wupaoxian," Cai Renzi, who gained fame with his stir-fried dish "Pig Testicle Delight." The testicles he sells are categorized as either from adult boars or piglets. Adult boar "testicle pieces" are as big as mangoes, with a chewier and tougher texture, while piglet testicles are only about the size of a thumb and require dozens to make a single serving—but they are much more tender...