Parasite hits box office milestone of 100 million; don’t miss Taiwan’s nostalgic old-style cake

By Kumiko

On Tamsui’s Old Street, there used to be popular Taiwan nostalgic old-style cakes, with signs even written in Korean to attract Korean tourists. It turns out that in 2016, Taiwan’s nostalgic old-style cake was all the rage in Korea.

However, in Korea, the nostalgic old-style cake marketed as made with natural ingredients was reportedly found to contain chemical additives, becoming a recent news event that almost every Korean remembers—so much so that the director included it in the plot.

In the film, Song Kang-ho once ran a “Taiwan nostalgic old-style cake” shop, and this failed venture becomes a running joke in the movie. No more spoilers—those who want to know should watch it themselves.

In fact, quite a few Taiwanese foods have gained popularity in Korea. Brands like Gong Cha bubble tea and Hong Ru Zhen sandwiches have become trendy in Korea. Mango shaved ice and Taiwan’s nostalgic old-style cake also became wildly popular in Korea, somewhat akin to the Portuguese egg tart craze in Taiwan years ago. Many people jumped into the business—400 stores opened within eight months—but the trend quickly collapsed after reports of chemical additives, becoming one of the memorable news events for many Koreans in recent years.