This grass jelly with ice shop has been around for 70 years and is now in its third generation of ownership. It insists on using wild grass jelly, which is hand-kneaded to achieve a finer and more elastic texture than that from the plains. Served with freshly squeezed lemon juice, a sip offers an incredibly cool sensation that instantly banishes the summer heat. (Pingtung County)…
Donggang is an important fishing town along Taiwan’s southwestern coast, long renowned for its abundant and delicious seafood. With a steady supply of fresh, reliable day-caught fish and ever-evolving cooking techniques, Donggang seafood has earned a unique reputation. Additionally, due to the area's early development, many local snacks have evolved into distinct regional flavors, among which meat-filled pastries and rice balls stand out as must-try treats for food enthusiasts. The variety of seafood in Donggang is extensive, with tuna sashimi, sakura shrimp, and oilfish roe collectively known as the “Three Treasures of Seafood.” Donggang’s sashimi is famous primarily for its “freshness.” To showcase this, it is always served standing upright on the plate, and there’s an unwritten rule that it comes in sets of seven slices—said to be a homophone for “sashimi” (normally three or four slices). Among the more well-known shrimp in Donggang are Donggang shrimp and sakura shrimp. Oilfish roe is another specialty, much larger and rarer than cuttlefish roe. Beyond the Three Treasures, Donggang also offers many unique fish and signature dishes. A stroll through the Overseas Chinese Market will leave you spoiled for choice. And if just looking isn’t enough, nearby seafood stalls invite you to sit down, order a beer, and enjoy live seafood with unforgettable bold flavors. (Pingtung County)
Oyster Omelette Popularity Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Origin: When Koxinga attacked Taiwan and faced food shortages, his soldiers used local ingredients to make pancakes by mixing oysters and sweet potato starch, which later became a famous snack.｜ The key to great flavor is using fresh oysters—the best come from Anping in Tainan, Dongshi in Chiayi, and Donggang in Pingtung.
Taiwanese Sakura Shrimp are deep-sea shrimp living at depths of 150 to 250 meters, thus remaining unpolluted. With extremely high nutritional value, they are rich in calories, protein, calcium, phosphorus, chitin, chitosan, and astaxanthin (also known as shrimp red pigment). They serve as essential nutrients for growing children, beauty food for women, nutritional supplements for new mothers, and high-calcium food for the elderly. Moreover, they meet everyone’s daily nutritional needs. This product is truly a natural treasure from the sea, and its only producers in the world are the waters off Donggang in Pingtung County, Taiwan, and Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. To ensure the sustainable growth and ecology of the Sakura Shrimp, annual yields are very limited. In Taiwan, fishing season runs from early November to the end of May the following year, with fishing taking place roughly four days per week for about 100 days annually, while fishing is prohibited during the rest of the year. In Japan, fishing is divided into spring and summer seasons, each lasting about one month. Sakura Shrimp have long been regarded as a national treasure-level seafood in Japan, further enhancing the preciousness of this product.
A general term for seeds from two different plants, chewed by people in South Asia and East India. It is estimated that about one-tenth of the world’s population has the habit of chewing betel nuts. The betel nut is the seed of the Areca palm (Areca catechu) from the Arecaceae family, while the betel leaf comes from the Piper betle plant in the Piperaceae family…
Pingtung is located in the southwestern part of Taiwan Province, on the east side of the Xiashan River. The county is known as the "Land of Pineapples" due to its abundant pineapple production.…
The coconut is a highly economically valuable crop. In addition to the drinkable coconut water, its fibers can be woven into ropes, mats, and mattresses. The scraped coconut flesh can be pressed into coconut oil, which not only serves as an ingredient in cooking and for making pastries and desserts but can also be refined into cleaning products. At the same time, the coconut palm is an excellent ornamental tree. Planted in rows along roadsides, their slender and upright trunks stand like sentries. When the southern breeze blows...
Lipu Wontons are famous far and wide. The founder originally ran a small local noodle stall. After numerous trials, the owner, Mr. Zhao Wenfu, developed fragrant wontons paired with refreshing braised pork trotters, earning a reputation that turned them into a signature snack of Lipu. Every holiday, food lovers who come from afar to taste these delicacies often turn the streets of Lipu into a sea of cars—an indication of their charm. When you visit Lipu, …
Wanluan Township in Pingtung County is not known for its scenic spots, but rather for its exceptionally delicious pig's trotters, which are famous throughout the province. Visitors passing through invariably stop to try them, and many even make special trips to purchase them. The pig's trotters of Wanluan are concentrated along Minhe Road, near the local police station, with Lin Haihong’s Haihong Restaurant being the most renowned — it is the originator of Wanluan pig's trotters. Wan...
Hou Family Marinated Meats is widely renowned, offering a full range of delicacies including pig’s head skin, pork intestines, beef tripe, tofu, marinated eggs, duck wings, and more. Among them, duck tongues are a favorite among foodies, though they are available in limited quantities—visitors who don’t book in advance often leave disappointed. Additionally, the saltwater duck boasts just the right level of saltiness and a delicious taste, making it another standout. For decades, the owner has insisted on…
On Shengli Road, there are two pie shops: Half-Mu Garden and Beiping Pie Porridge, both selling pork and beef pies, millet porridge, and various side dishes. Their flavors are similar. Among them, Half-Mu Garden features vintage decor inside and out, including oxcarts, plows, and lanterns, giving it an old-world charm. The filling of the pies is made with specially blended spices and minced meat. With one bite, hot soup bursts forth...
Millions of years ago, orogenic movements laid Hualien’s eternal bedrock, and through quarrying and carving, people have used skillful hands and ingenious minds to chip away the excess, revealing the beauty hidden deep within the stone. In doing so, they’ve also defined the character of Hualien as a city. Beyond its majestic mountains and grand waters, Hualien is also the homeland of countless rare stones and beautiful jade...
The standout feature of Okinawa sausage is that it is "deboned." Thanks to the removal of the sinew, Okinawa sausage has no tough or chewy texture. Combined with its high-quality meat, the absence of preservatives, and being wrapped in genuine small intestine, it delivers a naturally delicious taste. The entire production process is fully transparent. Okinawa sausage is used in spring rolls and also pairs wonderfully with sausage fried rice...
The main season for bluefin tuna is from April to June each year. Bluefin tuna has delicious, richly fatty meat with low cholesterol and is high in DHA. Whether served as sashimi or prepared in various dishes, it is both tasty and healthy. Every part of the bluefin tuna is valuable — from head to tail, even the bones and skin have their unique uses. The section from the belly to the gills is considered the finest for sashimi, with abundant fat and tender flesh that melts in your mouth. The middle belly to the tail has slightly less fat and contains some connective tissue, giving it a marbled appearance similar to pork belly. Prices vary depending on the cut.
The so-called Eight-Treasure Glass Noodles refer to Eight-Treasure Soup served with specially made glass noodles. The “Eight Treasures” refer to the eight ingredients in the soup: dried bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, wood ear fungus, napa cabbage, tofu skin, black moss, and squid. The richly simmered Eight-Treasure Soup, paired with glass noodles cooked to the perfect firmness, allows these simple noodles to absorb the flavors of all the ingredients, forming a...
Pingtung County is located at the southernmost tip of Taiwan. Among the coastal townships in Pingtung, Donggang Township has the longest history of maritime trade. Before the 1920s, it was the largest trading port south of Kaohsiung. After the completion of the fishing port in the 1960s, the area transitioned to focus primarily on fishing. Pacific Bluefin Tuna is known as one of the “Three Treasures of Donggang,” and has thus become...
Donggang is a fishing village known for its diverse seafood, and sakura shrimp, Pacific bluefin tuna, and oilfish roe are collectively known as the "Three Treasures of Donggang," renowned far and wide. Among them, to protect sustainable fisheries, there are regulations limiting the catch of sakura shrimp; while Pacific bluefin tuna sashimi is considered the finest of seafood, it is only available from April each year…
Through continuous experimentation and meticulous craftsmanship, Deli has developed a variety of flavors including five-spice, braised, and plum-infused. In addition to dried tofu, another specialty is plum products. The white plum series is an improved version of the braised plum, with its strong saltiness removed and coated in a powdery layer of glucose glaze—sweet, refreshing, smooth, delicate, and snow-white in appearance. The success of the white plum led to a range of other flavors such as milk plum, Dongding tea plum, and spicy plum. Homemade loquat jelly and peeled chili peppers from the store are also of excellent quality. (Hualien County)
Another specialty of Hualien is millet mochi, also known as Ami Mochi, which is an improved version of “Duron.” Traditional Duron contains no filling, but modern millet mochi has evolved to include various flavors such as red bean, mung bean, green tea, and honey. In addition to millet, red glutinous rice is also used in some varieties. (Hualien County)…
Hualien Sweet Potato Cake is made from sweet potatoes. The process involves peeling and boiling the sweet potatoes until soft, then mashing them into a paste. Sugar, spices, and flour are added and mixed evenly before shaping and baking. The preparation method for Hualien Taro Cake is similar, but a sprinkle of cinnamon powder is added before baking to enhance the aroma, hence it is also known as “Cinnamon Steamed Bun.” (Hualien County)…