Yingming Lin's Meatballs Introduction
With nearly a century of history, this old shop is known as a representative of Hsinchu's meatballs. Located next to the entrance of Chenghuang Temple, the white wall beside the seating area, painted with large red characters saying "Lin's Meatballs," is filled with signatures and messages from many famous artists. Lin's Meatballs has been operating in the food stalls of Hsinchu Chenghuang Temple for several decades, currently managed by the fourth generation. Although the brothers each run their own stalls independently, they all use family recipes. The specialty features lean meat marinated in red yeast rice for half a day to a day as filling, with a skin made of sweet potato flour and non-glutinous rice flour. The finished product is steamed and then deep-fried, resulting in a fragrant and chewy texture! The red appearance is different from meatballs in places like Changhua. In addition to the traditional green onion and meat flavor, there are now options for bamboo shoots and chestnuts, offering a variety of choices, making it a standout among the food stalls of Chenghuang Temple. Besides meatballs, accompanying soups include the Four Gods Soup and the famous Hsinchu Kongwan Soup. The Four Gods Soup is stewed to a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, making it a perfect match for the meatballs. On weekends, just one stall can sell two to three thousand meatballs; on weekdays, many people wholesale meatballs from them. The authentic taste of Lin's Meatballs has attracted many renowned food programs and magazines for interviews and reports. Following tradition while innovating at the right time seems to be their secret to standing strong among the many food stalls in Chenghuang Temple.
