Defeated mango shaved ice and grass jelly — grass jelly wins the title of Taiwan’s Summer Solstice Food Champion

▲ Grass jelly defeats strong contenders like mango shaved ice and grass jelly to win the title of Taiwan’s Summer Solstice Food Champion. (Photo / From the official website of the Taiwan Summer Solstice 235 Series of Events)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the “Taste the North Cross – Summer Solstice Food Selection” event crowned grass jelly as the champion of Taiwan’s summer solstice food after an online popularity vote and evaluations by renowned food and travel experts such as Lin Qiu-xiang, Hu Tian-lan, Liang You-xiang, James, and Saegami Tsuyoshi.

The “Taste the North Cross – Summer Solstice Food Selection” event, organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, invited six major national scenic areas along the Tropic of Cancer and Chiayi City and County to nominate ten representative local foods. Through a public voting and head-to-head competition process, the aim was to select the most iconic Taiwanese summer solstice food. The event selected ten summer solstice foods, including mango shaved ice, grass jelly, grass jelly dessert, cactus ice, watermelon, Ruisui fresh milk, ginger tomato, cold noodles, plum juice, and star fruit juice.

The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications stated that the top ten summer solstice foods not only offer a rich and diverse flavor profile but also represent the regional characteristics along the Tropic of Cancer. For instance, there's cactus ice from Penghu, mango shaved ice from Siraya, ginger tomato from Chiayi City, watermelon from Lukang in Chiayi, grass jelly from Shuishang, grass jelly dessert from Alishan, and Ruisui fresh milk from Hualien. Additionally, self-recommended PK foods such as cold noodles, plum juice, and star fruit juice are common summer delicacies enjoyed by people across Taiwan.

The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications pointed out that the Tropic of Cancer crosses central and southern Taiwan, not only dividing the subtropical and tropical climate zones but also creating Taiwan’s rich and diverse natural ecological beauty. Drawing inspiration from the elements of the Tropic of Cancer and the summer solstice, and integrating Taiwan’s unique geography, culture, climate, ecology, street food, and recreational activities, the bureau launched a new summer-themed event brand for Taiwan — “Taiwan Summer Solstice 235.” The numbers 235 not only represent the 23.5-degree angle of the Tropic of Cancer but also sound like “love me,” with the hope that everyone will fall in love with Taiwan in the summer and experience its vibrancy and energy.

The Taiwan Summer Solstice 235 series of events will kick off simultaneously across Taiwan from east to west on the day of the summer solstice (June 21). Activities will begin with welcoming the world’s first ray of summer solstice sunlight on the east coast, followed by an indigenous cultural fair in the Huatung Valley. Chiayi City will invite visitors to take a cool stroll through forestry and railway heritage sites, while Alishan and Siraya will host eco-friendly tandem bike and golf experiences under the concept of healthy living. Chiayi County will encourage the public to observe the annual astronomical spectacle at noon, and the Yunlin, Chiayi, Tainan, and Penghu regions will wrap up the day with sunset and stargazing concerts.

The highlight of the summer solstice — the “Tropic of Cancer Happiness Connection” event — will take place at 3:00 PM at the Dongshi Fisherman’s Wharf in Chiayi. Participants are invited to join hands along the Tropic of Cancer landmark to create a “happy Tropic of Cancer,” while enjoying the romantic atmosphere of the summer solstice sunset. In addition to offering thousands of servings of the champion summer solstice foods for participants to taste, the event will also follow the ancient tradition of exchanging scented sachets during the summer solstice by giving out limited-edition summer solstice sachet bags designed by renowned designer Mr. Chen Yong-ji.