Shanghai-style rice cakes with customizable fillings at Shanghai Hexing Cake Shop in Nanmen Market – an authentic taste even Soong Mei-ling loved

▲ The red bean Shanghai cake from Shanghai Hexing Cake Shop in Nanmen Market is a favorite of Soong Mei-ling, and the Xiong family loves it too.

Text and photos byXiong Miao Rudy


During the Lunar New Year, Xiong Miao took some time to visit Nanmen Market, first heading to Yi Chang Yu Fang, known as the “No. 1 Stall Under Heaven,” for ready-to-eat dishes like Dongpo pork, as well as Fu Ru Rou (fermented tofu pork) from Yi Xiang Zhai. Then came the Lunar New Year dishes from Yi Chang Yu Fang and Yi Xiang Zhai at Nanmen Market, followed by a stop at Shanghai Hexing to buy red bean Shanghai cake.

Shanghai Hexing Cake Shop offers a wide variety of New Year cakes and pastries, with staff bustling about. Why did Xiong Miao choose this place? Because it’s said that their rice cakes and New Year cakes are super famous and a favorite of Soong Mei-ling. It’s even said that eating these cakes helped ease her homesickness. You can imagine how authentic the flavors must be.


Friends who know Xiong Miao well might know that he’s not particularly fond of traditional desserts, but he and his companion both found the cakes here delicious. The shop offers many types of pastries, including red bean paste rice cakes, sesame rice cakes, and red bean Shanghai cakes, all of which are popular items.

Especially the various flavors of Shanghai rice cakes – the shop owner mentioned that these are favorites of both Soong Mei-ling and Madame Chiang Ching-kuo (Soong May-ling’s sister-in-law), and it’s said that the Lunar New Year doesn’t feel complete without having “Hexing’s” Shanghai rice cakes and osmanthus square cakes.


Besides the large portions of rice cakes and New Year cakes, you can also buy smaller ones. These dainty little portions come in sets of three for NT$100, or a single one for NT$35. In the front is the osmanthus cake; on the left is the red bean version, and on the right is the original flavor. You can choose between red bean paste or sesame as the filling. When buying, the cakes were still slightly warm. Xiong asked the owner if they needed to be steamed again, and she said no, they’re good to eat as they are.


This is the osmanthus cake with a sesame filling. Whether you’re eating one on your own or sharing it sliced, it’s not too heavy, and you can enjoy a bit more variety of flavors.


Original flavor rice cake with a sesame filling.

Red bean Shanghai cake with a red bean paste filling.
 

The sesame filling is fragrant and not overly sweet – it’s smooth and easy to eat.


The red bean paste inside the red bean Shanghai cake is very smooth and not too sweet either. Xiong’s mom really likes it and says it makes for a great tea-time snack.

The original flavor Shanghai rice cake also comes with a sesame filling, which both Xiong and Xiong’s dad love. Rice cakes are best eaten when they’re hot, because after sitting for a while, the outer layer can start to get a bit dry and hard. When it’s fresh and hot, it’s the softest and literally melts in your mouth – so remember to eat it while it’s hot.


This time, Xiong Miao used two posts to introduce must-eat and must-buy Lunar New Year foods at Nanmen Market. Actually, only a brief introduction was given to Yi Chang Yu Fang, Yi Xiang Zhai, and Shanghai Hexing Cake Shop, but there are actually so many other great treats at Nanmen Market. For the essential cured meats during Lunar New Year, there are two notable shops here – one is Kuai Che Meat Jerky.


Another is Jin Long Meat Jerky and Dried Meat Floss. Like Kuai Che, it’s also a well-known shop with its own loyal following.

The Huzhou zongzi from Nan Yuan are also quite famous. During the Dragon Boat Festival, this place is definitely packed. There are also specialty stores for all kinds of northern and southern groceries.


Xiong Miao’s favorite dish, “Dunpu Xian” (braised pork and bamboo shoots soup), which is slow-cooked using Jinhua ham, is also available here – there’s even a specialty store for Jinhua ham.


Long Ji Nanjing Salted Duck is another famous shop. If you’re interested, you can come here to buy chicken or duck meat.

Author: Xiong Miao RudyA couple who love food, occasionally going wild spending big on eating, drinking, and playing, but generally adhering to the principle of “limited money, endless appetite.” They run a blog of the same name:《Xiong Miao Eats the World into Bankruptcy》, which is updated simultaneously.

【Nanmen Market】

Address:No. 8, Section 1, Roosevelt Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City (Exit 2, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall MRT Station)
Phone:(02) 2321-8069
Business Hours:7:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Closed on Mondays)