Our Weekend Family Activities

This time, we found ourselves back in Yunlin thanks to some free tickets we received for a baking class. Since we had two, my husband and I went together. The class was held in Douliu, so we headed there from Huwei in the morning. 

The baking class we attended focused on making a taro roll and lasted about two hours. After watching the process, we got to sample a slice of the freshly baked cake. I felt like I might have been the only one with baking experience - many participants asked basic questions, which made me wonder if fewer Taiwanese people bake at home since street food is so readily available. Perhaps, like us, some people attended simply because of the free vouchers.

After the class, we decided to explore some local foods we had seen in a YouTube video. One dish was squid mouth soup - not my cup of tea! I just wanted to see it in person, while my husband was brave enough to taste it. On the other hand, the rou zao fan (minced pork rice) was quite good and more to my taste.

Given the chilly weather, we craved something warm for dessert. We ordered a sweet soup filled with red beans, mung beans, barley, jelly noodles, and tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). It was my first time trying this combination, and to my surprise, I liked it! In the past, I couldn’t stand beans in desserts, but I’ve grown to appreciate them. We also enjoyed some boiled mochi, which was delicious.

On our way back, we passed through Douliu Old Street, where hundreds or maybe even thousands of lanterns lit up the night. This year, the lantern designs were different from previous years, giving the street a fresh look. 

After lunch, we returned to pick up our son and drove back for his DIY gingerbread house activity.

The gingerbread house kit included cookies, icing sugar, and decorations - both edible ones like candies and non-edible ones like a little Christmas tree and a Santa Claus figurine. The atmosphere was lively and filled with excited kids. A little girl in front of us seemed more interested in munching on her cookie than decorating it, but she was much younger than our son, so she probably didn’t quite understand the task.

These DIY gingerbread house activities and various baking classes are held every Saturday and Sunday, at least for this year, each time with different designs and courses.

The weather was a chilly 8°C that day, but it was even colder back at home in Toufen, where it dropped to 5°C! Taiwan’s cold can feel much harsher than Poland’s because there are no heaters, making winter feel especially miserable. Although the cold season here is short, I’m sure many people welcome it after enduring the intense summer heat.