北斗’s Unique “Cabbage Rice”! Topped with Sweet-and-Salty Braised Pork Skin

Text & Photos /San Gao Eats China

Nandouliuxing and Beidouqixing—the cities of Douliu in Yunlin and Beidou in Changhua, north and south respectively—were once connected by the old course of the Zhuoshui River, which helped establish Beidou as a commercial hub in its time.

When people mention Beidou, aside from thinking of “God Fist” (you’re already dead), the most well-known local treats are rice balls and the signature dish, cabbage rice. Cabbage rice might not sound like much, but the Beidou version differs greatly in both preparation and eating style from the more common variety where rice is stir-fried with lard and then steamed. The taste difference is significant.

I’ve heard of a few other well-known places for cabbage rice nearby, such as Sister A-Qin’s, A-Mei next to Dian’an Temple, and Deji. On this day, Sister A-Qin’s was closed, so I headed to A-Mei. Both dine-in and takeout were bustling, and the shop had air conditioning.

The cabbage rice from the Beidou school may look rather simple and unassuming—white rice topped with stir-fried cabbage and a few pieces of braised pork skin. It’s the kind of humble fare that kept people full during the early agricultural days. Though plain, it actually tastes really good. The cabbage is stir-fried and then soaked in its own naturally sweet juice, staying tender yet still holding some texture instead of turning completely mushy. When stir-fried with shredded pork and mushrooms, the flavor is truly aromatic, and even the crispy bits soaking up the savory broth are delicious.

The additional ladle of braising sauce and a bit of minced pork have mild flavors, striking just the right balance of salty and sweet to whet the appetite. There’s barely any meat visible in the whole bowl, so the few pieces of braised pork skin add a touch of smooth richness. The pork skin melts in your mouth after just a few bites, and despite not being trimmed of its subcutaneous fat, it’s not greasy at all.

Another bowl of pork ball rice noodles also left a good impression, except for the noodles themselves, which were a bit too chewy. I spotted a jar of fermented black bean small fish stir-fried with chili and fried crumbs on the table. Tossing some into the soup or placing a spoonful alongside the cabbage rice made for a great pairing. It reminded me of the red yeast fried crumbs in the squid and pork ball soup from Longshan in Lukang.

For soup, there was bitter melon spare ribs in fermented black bean small fish flavor, and pickled vegetable pig intestines with ginger slices—both were pretty good. This meal left a nice impression. I like cabbage rice, so I’ll definitely have it again when I visit Beidou next time.

Related Info
Shop Name:Zheng Lao Dian A-Mei Cabbage Rice
Address: No. 121, Section 1, Douyuan Road, Beidou Township, Changhua County
Business Hours: AM7:00–PM7:30 (irregular holidays)

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