Creative Tofu Pudding Showdown: "Osmanthus Pineapple Tofu Pudding" Crowned National Champion

▲ The Osmanthus Pineapple Tofu Pudding, winner of the creative tofu pudding championship. (Photo / Provided by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the same applies below)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

The "2014 Taiwan Summer Solstice 235 Event," organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, officially launched on this year’s summer solstice (June 21) and will continue to roll out more summer-exclusive travel and food promotions through September. The first to kick off is the 9-day Taiwan Summer Festival starting June 21, featuring various sports competitions, vacation tours, and other activities. To build anticipation for the summer solstice event, the bureau also held the "Creative Tofu Pudding Showdown" from late May to mid-June. After intense judging by experts and over 60,000 online votes,the championship was awarded to the Osmanthus Pineapple Tofu Pudding from Fodu in Tainan, with the runner-up being the Old-Fashioned Brown Sugar Slush Tofu Pudding from Aishanwu in Chiayi, and the third place going to the Creative Fried Tofu Pudding from Xiaohuixia in Dounan.These creatively prepared tofu pudding dishes also have the opportunity to be featured at the Taiwan Summer Festival event venues, giving the public a chance to enjoy their unique flavors.

Liu Xilin, Deputy Director of the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, stated that this tofu pudding showdown gathered numerous renowned tofu pudding shops from across Taiwan, all emphasizing naturally hand-washed tofu pudding. The winning Osmanthus Pineapple Tofu Pudding incorporates seasonal fruits into the tofu pudding along with a delicate hint of osmanthus fragrance, offering both a refreshing and thirst-quenching experience. In the future, the bureau hopes that tofu pudding — a must-try Taiwanese summer delicacy — can present a more diverse image and provide a wider range of choices in international marketing.

▲ The 2014 Taiwan Summer Solstice 235 Event officially launched on June 21, giving the public the chance to sample various creative tofu pudding dishes at the event.

The inaugural Taiwan Summer Festival this year includes events such as the Shadowless Cycling Challenge – 100K Along the Tropic of Cancer starting at 8 AM on June 21 at Dongshi Fishing Harbor in Chiayi, an eco-friendly energy-saving tour at the Shuishang Sun Museum in Chiayi in the morning, the Midsummer Homeland, Dancing Valley, and Alishan’s Midsummer Prairie Concert in the afternoon, and an evening rendezvous at Penghu’s Weng Island to enjoy an ancient lighthouse lighting music feast. On the East Coast, there will be a Whitewater Triathlon and Blue Pacific, Cool Summer Solstice events on June 21 and 22, continuing through June 29 with the Guanziling Fun and Relaxation Holiday in Siraya. The grand finale will be the Summer Carnival held on June 28 and 29 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center and Hsin Guang Park.

The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications stated that Taiwan’s summer activities are rich and diverse, and it hopes to use the Taiwan Summer Solstice 235 to bring together representative events from around the country to attract international tourists to fall in love with Taiwan’s summer. Therefore, for the first time this year, the event has expanded to the harbor city of Kaohsiung to host the Summer Carnival, where not only will there be a creative tofu pudding zone featuring the top five shops from the tofu pudding showdown, but also a collection of signature ice treats from along the Tropic of Cancer, as well as activities such as a kids’ DIY zone, a summer extravaganza zone, and a cultural and creative market. The public can also sign up for the Thousand-Person Tofu Pudding Washing activity. Details can be found on the official website of the "2014 Taiwan Summer Solstice 235" event.