Get to know a city through your taste buds！Top 5 must-try local snacks in Yilan

Reporter Lee Tzu-yi / Comprehensive report

With its abundant rainfall, mountainous terrain, and vast farmlands, if you’ve been to Yilan, you’ll surely agree. Its proximity to Taipei also makes it a favorite holiday destination for city dwellers. The area’s unique local snacks are truly unforgettable, leaving visitors reluctant to leave. Tasting Yilan through its food is one way to experience the region, and ETtoday EBC has specially compiled a list of Yilan’s signature snacks. Why not plan a food trip to Yilan next time?

▲ Beimen Garlic Pork Ball Soup. (Photo / Reporter Chen Tzu-yin)

1. Pork Ball Soup
Pork ball soup can be found almost everywhere, but you can’t miss it when you’re in Yilan！In Yilan, most pork balls are made from solid chunks of meat rather than minced meat. Writer Shu Guozhi once remarked that trying one shop each in Luodong Township, Yilan City, and Jiaoxi Township might give you a better culinary experience than sampling a couple of hundred shops across other parts of Taiwan — which shows just how exceptional Yilan’s pork ball soup is on the national stage.

Beimen Garlic Pork Ball Soup, a local 40-year-old shop known for its distinctive garlic flavor, started the trend of garlic-infused pork ball soup in Yilan, inspiring many other shops to combine garlic with pork balls. On the humid and chilly days at Luodong Forest Park — once a logging hub — workers loved warming up with a bowl of hot pork ball soup after a long day’s work, helping the Luodong Forest Park pork ball soup gain fame and become a well-loved local eatery. Another local favorite is Jiaoxi Zhong’s Pork Ball Soup, marinated in a secret recipe for seven hours, giving it a texture quite different from the usual batter-coated version. It has even attracted media coverage.

▲ Grandpa’s Fried Egg Scallion Pancake. (Photo / Reporter Chen Jui-chung)

2. Fried Egg Pancake (Scallion Pancake)
As the hometown of Sanxing scallions, how could you visit Yilan without trying scallion-based treats? Whether it's scallion pancakes, scallion pies, fried egg pancakes, or scallion-filled pastries, they are all beloved by foodies, and scallion lovers simply can’t resist them. Among these, the golden, puffed-up fried pancake, paired with each shop’s unique sauces — and the expert touch of adding an egg and scallions, as seen in the fried egg scallion pancake — is absolutely divine.

There are quite a few shops in Yilan selling this type of scallion pancake. For example, Grandpa’s Scallion Pancake, which has been around for over 30 years and is located outside Toucheng Railway Station, and Ko’s Scallion Pancake in Jiaoxi, a popular queue-worthy spot with over 40 years in business. Both prepare the dish by cracking an egg into the hot oil, sprinkling it with scallions, then placing a pancake on top. The result is a crispy exterior with a fragrant hint of scallions inside. Those with smaller appetites can enjoy it as a main meal, while those with bigger appetites might have it for breakfast or afternoon tea. When you visit Yilan, why not try this authentic Yilan-style afternoon tea?

▲ Dami Mian Sesame Sauce Noodles. (Photo /MIKA’s Foodie Travel Log)

3. Sesame Sauce Noodles & Dry Noodles
Yilan has some really delicious sesame sauce noodles and dry noodles！Yilan-style sesame sauce noodles are slightly different from the typical version — they use a thinner, more watery sauce mixed with white noodles. Dry noodles are typically made with lard and scallion oil tossed with the noodles, a common style in Yilan.

Yilan is home to many famous noodle shops. For instance, “Uス久妗保?涫稻褪且灾碛桶璐置嬖偌拥愫齑型诽嵛叮?虻テ邮档幕尘煞缥段??簧禀铱颓巴??艿叫矶啾ㄕ略又颈ǖ劫ǘ?螅?土粼黾拥却?氖奔湓龀ぃ?踩萌讼烦莆?苏馔朊娴鹊健罢ス尽贝蝾??＜/p>

The slightly chewy thick white noodles, coated in rich, aromatic sesame sauce with a hint of sweetness, sprinkled with some scallions, make for an incredibly satisfying bite — that’s Yilan’s sesame sauce noodles. Simple yet extraordinary. Popular spots include Dami Mian in the city center and Mashang Noodles with Clam Soup in Toucheng. When you’re tired of sightseeing and adventuring, sit down for a bowl of noodles and enjoy a taste of Yilan’s local lifestyle.

▲ Zhengchang Fresh Meat Xiao Long Bao. (Photo /Purple SmileProvided)

4. Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings)
In Yilan, there’s a well-known family-run xiao long bao (soup dumpling) shop on Taishan Road, operated by the Li brothers. After the original shop faced demolition, the brothers opened separate establishments: “Zhengchang Fresh Meat Xiao Long Bao” and “Zhengchang Fresh Meat Xiao Long Bao.” The former, opened by the elder brother, remains on Taishan Road and tends to draw big crowds, especially tourists. The latter, run by the younger brother, is located about a kilometer away on Yixing Road and usually requires no queuing. Both serve xiao long bao with super thin skins, bursting with juicy filling, made using Sanxing scallions and black pork hind leg meat. The dough is hand-rolled, and with one gentle bite, the savory broth flows out. Paired with a bowl of spicy and sour soup, it makes for a very satisfying meal.

▲ Tiansongpi Weizhenxiang Braised Pork Shop. (Photo / Sourced fromSanxing Tourism Website)

5. Braised Pork (Bu Rou)
Coated in flour and deep-fried, Yilan’s famed braised pork (bu rou) features a crispy crust and juicy interior. Today, there are many shops selling braised pork, but the legendary founding store with over 80 years of history — Tiansongpi Weizhenxiang Braised Pork Shop — is renowned far and wide, attracting many tourists. Legend has it that the first-generation owner learned the art of tempura from a Japanese chef and introduced the dish to the area. Originally called “bào ròu” (exploded meat, in Hokkien), it was later renamed bu rou. This dish features a crispy exterior wrapped around lean, chewy meat, with a texture similar to salt-and-pepper chicken. A common way to enjoy it is with a sprinkle of pepper salt mixed with sesame. Don’t miss a pilgrimage to this historic bu rou shop when you’re in Yilan.

In truth, Yilan has so many delicious foods — famous cherry ducks, the now-rare dragon-phoenix legs, Luodong charcoal-grilled flatbread, mung bean paste, and many more. Next time you’re in Yilan, aside from soaking in hot springs and visiting night markets, don’t forget to pay homage to Yilan’s uniquely flavorful local snacks. Come on a local culinary adventure！