Kenting Spring Tea Cuisine: Delicious and Non-greasy “Tea-Flavored Spare Ribs” and “Oil-Cutting Chicken Soup”!

Reporters Lin Yuling & You*** / Reported from Kenting

When visiting Kenting, in addition to enjoying the Spring Music Festival, don’t forget to satisfy your taste buds and savor the seasonal specialties of southern Taiwan. Start with a plate of locally grown cold onion salad as an appetizer—sweet and not pungent, tastier than imported onions. There are also various creative dishes made with local spring tea, such as tender tea-flavored spare ribs and oil-cutting chicken soup that leave a lingering fragrance. Finally, share a pot of harbor tea with friends for a sweet aftertaste that cuts through greasiness—you can even experience the joy of tea picking yourself.

▲ Onions grown in Kenting are pesticide-free, sweet and not pungent, making them perfect for cold appetizers. (Photo / Reporter You***)

The Hengchun Peninsula in Kenting boasts not only beautiful sunshine, beaches, and waves but also fertile land that nurtures abundant food. From April to August each year is the peak season for onions, which come in three colors: soil, white, and purple. Among them, white and purple onions are sweet and spicy without being pungent, making them ideal for cold salads. Enjoy their deliciousness and nutrition without any sharp aftertaste in your mouth—unlike foreign-imported onions that often carry a strong pungent flavor, requiring multiple pieces of gum to mask, leaving you too embarrassed to speak with your mouth open.

In addition to onions, the “Harbor Tea” grown and roasted by local farmers is also one of Hengchun’s Three Treasures. Caesar Park Hotel Kenting has specially launched a “Spring Tea Specialty Meal,” which includes a dish called “Tea-Flavored Spare Ribs.” These use tender meat near the pork cartilage, marinated for 8 hours, then cooked by half-frying and half-stir-frying, resulting in excellent texture. Dip them in matcha powder, and the subtle tea aroma blends with the rib fragrance on your tongue and between your teeth—instead of clashing, they merge into an innovative and refreshing flavor experience.

▲ The tea-flavored spare ribs can be eaten with matcha powder; the two flavors do not clash, and the deliciousness spreads across your tongue and teeth. (Photo / Reporter Lin Yuling)

Wang Zhilin, Deputy Manager of the Catering Department at Caesar Park Hotel, highly recommends the “Health-Oil-Cutting Chicken Soup,” which contains not only chicken but also red dates, white fungus, lotus seeds, and more. It is simmered with premium locally grown “Harbor Tea” to achieve an oil-cutting effect. Regular chicken soup often has a thick layer of grease that leaves lips sticky after drinking; however, this “oil-cutting chicken soup” is completely non-greasy while maintaining the sweetness of the broth. This dish earns praise from both foreigners and locals, and even female diners who are wary of oil love it.

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▲ Taro-flavored rice noodles (right) are cooked with fresh tuna, crispy egg, and fish bone broth, and the broth is super sweet. (Photo / Reporter You***)

After sampling produce from the land and livestock from the mountains, Kenting cuisine wouldn’t be complete without seafood caught from the sea. The “Cold Spicy Salmon” offered by Caesar Park Hotel is also a favorite among young mature women and elder gourmands for its Q-crunchy texture and low cholesterol, especially refreshing in hot weather.

%Description here%: Q-crunchy and low in cholesterol, it’s a favorite among young mature women and elder gourmands. (Photo / Reporter You***)

%Description here%: The “Oil-Cutting Chicken Soup” is paired with other local dishes, enhancing flavors and offering a balanced meal. (Photo / Reporter ***, Strong)