Super Taiwanese yet stunningly beautiful—4 popular “Taiwan-style” desserts handpicked across Taiwan

Red Turtle Cake

?Shi-Ri (Shi-Ri) is located in Taipei’s Wanhua District, where the shop specializes in French pastries while attempting to blend them with local culture. Their recently launched “Red Turtle” cake resembles the traditional red turtle pastry in shape, but features a youthful color palette and flavor profile that appeals to younger crowds.
The cake combines sweet rice wine mousse with a homemade azuki bean filling, adding rich layers of taste. While reminiscent of the traditional red turtle cake in appearance, it incorporates modern French techniques and offers a unique twist in both flavor and texture. The cake measures approximately 10x8x4 cm and is priced at 200 NTD each. As it's a mousse cake, it’s not available for delivery and can only be purchased in-store. Its eye-catching design has even inspired some customers to buy it for temple offerings, creating an alternative trendy take on traditional offerings.

The red turtle cake from Shi-Ri—from the mold to the flavor profile—is entirely self-made and conceptualized, using sweet rice wine mousse and a homemade adzuki bean filling to create richer taste layers. It shares a similar appearance with traditional red turtle cakes, but introduces a distinct French twist and different flavor and texture profiles. The cake size is 10x8x4cm, priced at 200 NTD each. As it’s a mousse cake, it’s not available for delivery and can only be bought in-store. Its high visual appeal has even led some customers to purchase it for temple offerings, becoming an alternative, trendy French-style offering.

Address: No. 12, Lane 10, Dechang St., Wanhua District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2305 5663
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▲ The “Taiwan Lemon Tart” features green Taiwan-shaped chocolate decorations on a lemon tart—delicious and photogenic. (Photo / Reporter Peng Huaiyu)

Couple’s Face Dessert Hyvä

Hidden in Taichung’s Nantun District is a dessert shop that sells a very special “Taiwan Lemon Tart.” A green Taiwan-shaped chocolate sits atop a yellow lemon tart, creating a cute and Instagram-worthy look that has sparked a wave of social media posts. Not only is it great for photos, but the tart also features a crispy crust and tangy filling with a flavor that lingers. For those who find it too sour, try eating it together with the green “Taiwan” chocolate on top.

When asked why they were inspired to incorporate Taiwan into their dessert creativity, owner Carrie responded that most lemon tarts sold elsewhere look pretty similar. She wanted to convey the hardworking and down-to-earth spirit of Taiwanese people, so she came up with the idea of “Taiwan,” combining it with the lemon tart as a brand-new experiment.

Address: No. 580, Huiven Rd., Nantun District, Taichung City
Phone: 04-22512602
Business Hours: Monday to Sunday 13:00–20:00; after 19:00 on weekdays, only takeout is available.
Irregular closure days (Please check announcements on the Facebook page)

▲ Tainan’s creative “Joss Paper Toast” has gone viral. (Photo / Provided by netizen0121._.aPlease do not repost or take photos without permission to avoid copyright infringement.)

Xiao Cheng Liang Pin

To promote temple culture and encourage youth creativity, Tainan City’s Civil Affairs Bureau commissioned the baking shop “Xiao Cheng Liang Pin,” founded by a post-90s entrepreneur, to create joss paper toast. Committed to using high-quality ingredients and handmade production while infusing youthful energy, the vividly designed joss paper toast was born, receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. The handcrafted white toast is imprinted with characters such as “blessing” and “pray for peace” using pumpkin powder and raspberry powder, resembling real joss paper used in prayers. Each piece is sold for 80 NTD. Those wanting to try this special “joss paper flavor” may have to wait in line until May.

Address: No. 151, Yude 2nd Rd., North District, Tainan City
Phone: 06 252 5695
Business Hours: 12:00 – 21:00
*Joss paper toast sale dates are announced on the store’sFacebook Page

▲A set of five, each pack includes a screwdriver, wrench, saw, hammer, and hex key. (Photo/IG@hsien1119Provided, please do not reproduce without permission)

The Toolman Egg Cake

Taiwan’s traditional snack, the egg cake, gets a creative twist at The Toolman Egg Cake in Tainan’s Jinhua Road. Since its soft opening at the end of December last year, the shop has slowly built a reputation in Tainan with its adorable tool-shaped egg cakes. The owner jokingly refers to himself as the “foreman,” selling egg cakes shaped like “tools.” Each set of five comes in a pack containing a screwdriver, wrench, saw, hammer, and hex key — giving you a full set of tools in one go. The egg cakes are crispy and especially moreish, making them the latest must-queue dessert craze.

Address: No. 110, Lane 33, Section 2, Jinhua Road, South District, Tainan City
Business Hours: 11:00–17:45 (until sold out)
Price: NT$30 per set
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▲This year“Good Friends Picnic Day”Features an even more impressive lineup! Remember to head to Huashan Central Park of Arts and Culture on Saturday, May 6th, to enjoy music and dancing together.