Zhushan’s Must-Try Popular Taiwanese Rice Ball — The Secret Lies in Its Special Sauce

Text & Photos byShadow

When it comes to rice balls in Zhushan Town, aside from those at Miaokou, you can’t miss the popular Zhushan rice ball, located next to Yuanlin Bus Station. This decades-old Zhushan Treasure Island Rice Ball shop also doubles as an ice cream parlor. Who would have thought that rice balls could make this place so wildly popular in Zhushan, even earning it the title of Best Beloved Snack? When visiting Zhushan, you simply must try this flavor.

Watching two woks with different oil temperatures frying the rice balls, the round rice balls floated and sank slowly while turning in the oil — even though we had already sampled snacks at three different places along the way, the sight of these plump rice balls still made our mouths water.

We walked on foot from near Liánxìng Temple, the Mazu temple, for about a few minutes before arriving at the rice ball shop next to Yuanlin Bus Station. Even though it was past lunchtime, there were still many visitors and locals just like us who came especially for the rice balls.

Aside from rice balls, squid meatball soup is another popular item here. Looking at the prices on the menu, everything is super affordable — we couldn’t help but exclaim how cheap rural prices are.

Rice ball: 30 NT$/piece. To make a delicious rice ball, the sauce poured on top is one of the key soul elements. With added rice milk, soy sauce, and mashed garlic, the rice ball has multiple layers of flavor. The mashed garlic enhances the sweet-salty sauce, allowing the sweet-salty taste to dance across your taste buds, while the translucent outer skin offers a Q-textured, chewy bite.

The filling inside the rice ball is tightly packed along with diced bamboo shoots. The seasoned filling has a faint aroma of traditional Chinese medicinal spices, and paired with the special sauce, it’s truly delicious.

Squid meatball soup: 30 NT$. Although having a hot bowl of soup on a very hot day may not be the wisest choice, coming here without trying a bowl of squid or meatball soup would be a real pity. Even though we were almost too full to eat anything else, we insisted on finishing the squid meatball soup before calling it quits.

The soup is really generous with ingredients — there's a ton of shredded bamboo shoots, and the soup itself is packed with flavor. Whether you add vinegar or pepper, the broth is well-made. With its crispy squid and fresh meatballs, even without adding noodles or rice vermicelli, this bowl of soup is very filling.

The Treasure Island Rice Ball, which once ranked third nationally in the Rice Ball Festival competition, truly lives up to its reputation. We’re honored to have been able to share these two rice ball shops in town with everyone during this trip. Whether it’s the century-old Miaokou rice ball or the popular Treasure Island rice ball, each has its own unique charm. If you're planning a trip to Zhushan, be sure to check out both of these rice ball spots. There are many more snacks in Zhushan Town, but due to time constraints, we weren’t able to introduce more. We’ll save those for when we plan another trip to Zhushan next time.

【Zhushan Treasure Island Rice Ball】
Address: No. 23-1, Caiyuan Rd., Zhushan Township, Nantou County
Phone: 049-2641100
Business Hours: 10:00–19:00
Closed on Tuesdays

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