A must-try at Fengjia Night Market: the -196°C "Smoky Fun Cake" that makes you exhale smoke

▲ Customers enjoying the Smoky Fun Cake can experience the thrill of exhaling smoke. (Photo / Reporter Hu Shaofu)

Reported by Reporter Hu Shaofu / Taichung

Anyone who has visited Fengjia Night Market in Taichung probably has strong memories of the "Smoky Fun Cake." It's just a small stall, yet it creates magical cookies that leave everyone amazed. However, after an incident where a customer suffered frostbite from eating the cake, the shop remained steadfast half a year later. Beyond the gimmick, its survival is thanks to owner Huang Zhaozheng’s confidence in the product and the curiosity of customers.

▲ The signboard of Smoky Fun Cake. (Photo / Reporter Hu Shaofu)

Owner Huang Zhaozheng said in an interview that he first saw something similar in South Korea. Then, after discussing with a friend who specializes in gases, they spent nearly a month experimenting before successfully developing the product. "The texture of the cookies changes a lot in extremely low temperatures, so we kept researching the density and moisture content. In the end, we selected 5 flavors that are most acceptable to people out of nearly 500 options."

Unexpectedly, just one month after opening in mid-April, the store faced an incident in May where a customer surnamed Liao complained of frostbite on his mouth after eating the cookie. This troubled Huang Zhaozheng greatly, as he was pursued by media and health authorities. He even had to temporarily close for a week to avoid the spotlight. In the end, he compensated the customer 300 NT dollars for medical expenses. "During the health inspection, I felt everything was fine because I’m very confident in my ingredients. For example, the cream puffs are from Yimei, and the cookies are handmade."

▲ The Smoky Fun Cake shop is not big, but many people visit daily because of its fame. (Photo / Reporter Hu Shaofu)

This Smoky Cake involves dipping the cookie in liquid nitrogen cooled to -96°C. Before eating, you have to shake it to let the liquid nitrogen evaporate. To ensure customer safety, the shop also kindly reminds: "Be sure to shake off the liquid before eating," "Don’t hold it with your tongue, bite it with your mouth," etc. Additionally, signs reading "Liquid inside is not edible" are posted in the shop, on the stall, and on utensils to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

▲ Smoky Fun Cake is a must-eat delicacy at Fengjia Night Market. (Photo / Reporter Hu Shaofu)

Speaking of the shop’s sales performance, Huang Zhaozheng remained modest, only mentioning that during summer vacation, they once sold over 300 portions in a single day. Although it's now winter and foot traffic has slightly decreased, "I think it’s due to the overall environment, not related to mainland tourists. Fewer people are actually visiting the night market to spend money." He believes the situation will improve in the future.

Smoky Fun Cake

Address: Intersection of Wenhua Road and Qinghe Street, Xitun District
Phone: 0989 533 178
Business Hours: 5–6 PM to midnight

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