Taiwan’s Top 10 Iconic Rice Dishes — Chiayi Chicken Rice Is the Best!

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

Chiayi Chicken Rice Is the Best!“The Results of the Taiwan Top 10 Iconic Rice Dishes Public Vote Are In!” Chiayi City’s chicken rice made a stunning comeback to claim the top spot with an impressive 440,000 votes, while Kaohsiung’s Yuhuabao Sausage Rice came in second, and Chiayi County’s Golden Croaker Roe Fried Rice took third place. Chiayi dominated the list by securing both 1st and 3rd places, earning recognition for its local delicacies.

▲ Chiayi Turkey Rice. (Photo / Courtesy ofDaKou Play Noodles Travel Food Journal)

The “Top 10 Iconic Rice Dishes of Taiwan” public vote, organized by the Council of Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Agency, ran from June 25 to July 28, attracting over 1.65 million votes. The agency noted that until the final two weeks of the vote, Kaohsiung’s Yuhuabao Sausage Rice maintained the lead. However, in the last week, Chiayi Chicken Rice pulled off a stunning upset to take first place. Other top five finishers included Miaoli County’s Strawberry Fermented Tofu Crispy Pork Rice and Taitung County’s Chihshang Lunchbox.

▲ Kaohsiung’s “Yuhuabao Sausage Rice.” (Photo / Sourced from Kaohsiung City Agriculture Bureau website)

Zheng, a student from Chiayi studying in Taipei, said that chicken rice is Chiayi’s “national snack,” one he’s enjoyed since childhood. He noted that there are over ten well-known chicken rice shops just within Chiayi City. Yang, who works in Kaohsiung, commented that Kaohsiung’s Yuhuabao Sausage Rice is a “rising star” in the rice food scene — not yet widely known but very delicious, especially with the added fragrance from the Yuhuabao.

A total of 22 delicious rice dishes from across Taiwan participated in the vote, with each county and city showcasing their signature rice dish. The 5th to 10th places were awarded to New Taipei City’s Shiding Osmanthus Zongzi, Tainan City’s Fucheng Rice Cake, Pingtung County’s Sakura Shrimp Fried Rice, Changhua County’s Rou Rice, and Taichung City’s Qingshui Rice Cake.