The 60-Year-Old Corn Stall in Pingtung: Charcoal-Grilled with Family-Secret Sauce for an Authentic Flavor

Photos & Text /Shadow

Before leaving Chaozhou, we returned to the roundabout near the Sanshan King Temple where we had been during the day to buy our favorite grilled corn. Usually, we get our corn from the stand next to Chan-Kun, but this time we wanted to try another stall called JiaChuanXiang. This one has been highly recommended by many netizens, so we believe it’s definitely worth introducing.




The grilled corn stall, established in the 38th year of the Republic of China (1949), truly has a long history. The owner said she is the second-generation proprietor and has been running the stall here for a very long time. There’s even a photo on the small stall of the host of the food show “Food Hunter” and her family.

Most urban grilled corn now uses gas or electric grills—nothing traditional about that. To find corn grilled the old-fashioned way over charcoal, you really have to search. The grilled corn in Chaozhou is the best we’ve had so far, and since we rarely get the chance, we had to satisfy our cravings.


Most of the grilled corn uses the common white corn typically used for boiling. It has a firmer bite, appealing to those who enjoy a bit of chew. When you come to the grilled corn stall, you can usually pick your own corn based on how soft or hard you want it, then hand it to the vendor to grill. If you don’t want the hassle, the vendor can choose for you—there's a lot of flexibility. Also, the corn is sold by weight, so the price varies slightly for each cob. Having eaten grilled corn in Chaozhou so many times, we can say the pricing is quite reasonable.


In the past, vendors would constantly turn the corn by hand to ensure even heating. Now there are automatic rotating grills, so the vendors don’t have to work as hard. The corn is enjoying a nice red-hot charcoal “sunbath,” while layers of sauce are slowly brushed on.


Grilled corn requires a bit of patience. While waiting, we chatted with the vendor for a while. She said with pride that all her customers love her corn, especially the specially blended sauce, which is a family-secret recipe and the key to making the corn so delicious.

But you can see how hard the vendor works—whether under the scorching sun or freezing winter, she stands the whole day in front of the extremely hot grill, serving customers, so that we can enjoy such delicious grilled corn. After brushing on several layers of sauce, the corn goes back on the grill to let the sauce cling firmly to it, allowing the charcoal heat to bring out the aroma of the sauce.

Here you can see the vendor ensuring each side of the corn gets evenly charred again. And just like that, a skewer of grilled corn is complete. This one was picked by Shadow herself—she likes her corn with a firmer bite. It was a medium-sized cob, and after weighing, it came to 60 NT dollars.


Once you get the grilled corn in hand, you’ll notice the aroma right away. The corn is coated in sauce—sweet yet savory—and has a slightly gritty texture, probably from the satay sauce. This is the kind of grilled corn that brings back nostalgic childhood flavors.

Actually, both grilled corn stalls at the roundabout are delicious. We personally prefer the unnamed one next to Chan-Kun—their sauce is a bit more flavorful than JiaChuanXiang’s. It just depends on your preference. In the end, we ended our day in Chaozhou with satisfied and happy hearts.


[JiaChuanXiang Grilled Corn]

Address:No. 120, Xinzhuang Road, Chaozhou Township, Pingtung County (in front of ZhengLaoPai Icy Treats)
Business Hours:10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

ShadowSpecializes in introducing local snacks from Kaohsiung and Pingtung. Hopes that through sharing, more food lovers can be found. Also welcome everyone to share their hidden snack gems on the “Foodie Friends” graffiti wall with address, shop name, and recommended dishes. A food review will be shared soon!

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