Taiwanese street food: 酥 (su), 糕 (gao), 餅 (bing) (part I)

Cakes in Taiwan belong to three different categories: 酥 (su), 糕 (gao), and 餅 (bing).

Su (酥) is a pastry made with shortening and tends to crumble.

Gao (糕) starts with batter and is then steamed or baked.

Bing (餅) is a general name for wheat-flour-based food with a flat or disc-like shape. Many of them are similar to Indian roti, French crepes, and Mexican tortillas, but they can also resemble Western-style cakes and cookies. Bings can be sweet or savory.

See also: Taiwanese street food (part II)

1. Pineapple cakes (鳳梨酥, fengli su)

Pineapple cakes are definitely one of my favorite desserts in Taiwan. They are made from pastry dough including flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, and filled with pineapple jam. Sometimes pineapples are mixed with winter melon.

During the Japanese era, pineapples became the mainstay of Taiwan's economy. The Japanese imported many varieties of pineapples and established numerous processing plants.

In the 1930s, Taiwan became the third-largest exporter of these fruits in the world.

Pineapple cakes have a history of at least a century in Taiwan as ceremonial food. When production shifted towards domestic sales and the use of fresh pineapples, bakeries started to incorporate the fruit into pastries. Pineapple cakes became one of the top-selling souvenirs in Taiwan.

These cakes are often given as engagement gifts from the groom to the bride's family. In Hokkien language, pineapple (ong lai) sounds similar to the phrase "prosperity has come," which symbolizes the hope that many children will be born into the family.

2. Chinese New Year cakes / Non (年糕 / 甜糕, Niángāo)

Eating those cakes during the New Year is considered good luck. They are made of glutinous rice that is pounded into a paste, molded into shape, or cooked again. Nian gao can also be pan-fried before eating.

See also: How to make Nian Gao

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/owENfJCoVuZ4V3k98

3. Prosperity cakes (發糕 , Fāgāo) 

Usually eaten during Chinese New Year, fa gao is made of rice flour, yeast, and sugar, and then steamed. During steaming, the top of the cake splits into four segments.

4. Nionya cake (娘惹糕, Niáng rě gāo)

These cakes are made of glutinous rice flour or tapioca flour, with various ingredients added such as mung bean puree, red bean puree, peanut powder, coconut milk, coconut sugar, and more. These cakes can be prepared through methods like steaming, frying, or roasting, and they can be enjoyed in both sweet or savory variations.

5. Champion Rice Cake (狀元糕, Zhuàng yuán gāo)

Made of steamed glutinous rice flour, these cakes are usually filled with sesame or peanuts.

6. Red bean cakes (紅豆餅, Hóngdòu bǐng)

Red bean cakes are made of batter cooked in a special pan. These pancakes can be filled with butter, chocolate, red beans, peanuts, sesame, and more. They are very fluffy and make a delightful dessert. They are typically made in a round shape and are sometimes referred to as wheel cakes.

7. Moon cakes (月餅, Yuèbǐng)

Moon cakes are traditional cakes enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During this time, people exchange these cakes as gifts in beautiful boxes. Moon cakes are round in shape and decorated with Chinese characters. Typically, they are about 10 cm in diameter and 3-4 cm thick. Traditionally, moon cakes have sweet and dense fillings, such as lotus seed paste with egg yolk, sweet bean paste, or five nuts paste.

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/ofsj8P9bc2FsDKbz9

8. Sun cakes (太陽餅, Tàiyáng bǐng)

Originating from Taichung, sun cakes have a flaky crust and are typically filled with condensed malt sugar. They are round in shape.

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/N521ZomZzEf39NDZ9

9. Sweetheart cakes (老婆餅, Lǎopó bǐng)

These cakes have a thin, flaky pastry crust and are filled with watermelon, almond paste, sesame, and spiced with five spice powder.

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/JyrYJW128CtKZDtP8

10. Wedding cakes (囍餅, Xǐ bǐng)

Wedding cakes are round cakes with a diameter of 20cm. They can be stuffed with sesame, red beans, green beans, white sugar, and more. The cakes are decorated with a double happiness pattern and sesame seeds. Traditionally, these cakes are given from the man's family to the woman's home before the wedding.

Picture source: https://images.app.goo.gl/pYyvNsBVdUADYZp58

11. White malt cake (白色麥芽餅, Báisè mài yá bǐng) 

This cake features processed maltose and is combined with coriander and peanut powder to make a cookie-like treat.