Yonghe Zhou's Rice Cake Introduction
Yonghe District, in its early years, gained prominence due to the influx of military and public service personnel from mainland China. Various dishes from the outside provinces, such as village cuisine and rice cakes, became quite famous. Speaking of rice cakes, Zhou's Rice Cake, located in Dachen Village, is a must-try delicacy during the Lunar New Year in New Taipei City. In this historic rice cake store, steamers are almost never idle throughout the year, with regular customers flocking in not only for the unforgettable Dachen rice cakes but also for the Korean rice cakes made to cater to a large number of Korean guests. Zhou's Dachen rice cake has a chewy and smooth texture, and it is typically stir-fried with other delicacies. The production process is quite labor-intensive; after soaking Poonlai rice, it goes through grinding, pressing, and crushing before being placed in a special steamer to be cooked and mixed thoroughly, then shaped and dried. Besides enjoying the food, simply standing in front of the store to watch the rice cake-making process is also a fascinating experience.
