Yonghe Zhou's Rice Cake Introduction
In its early years, Yonghe District was well-known for its variety of provincial dishes such as soldier's village cuisine and rice cakes, due to the influx of military and educational personnel from mainland China. When it comes to rice cakes, Zhou's Taiwanese rice cake in Dacheng Village is a must-try delicacy during festivities in New Taipei City. This time-honored rice cake shop has steam baskets that are almost never idle throughout the year, with regular customers coming in one after another not only for the unforgettable Dacheng rice cake but also for the Korean rice cakes made to cater to the large number of Korean expatriates. Zhou's Dacheng rice cakes are chewy and smooth, typically stir-fried with other delicacies, and the preparation process is quite labor-intensive. The process involves soaking the Penglai rice, grinding it into a batter, pressing it dry, and finally steaming it in a special steamer, mixing it together, then shaping and air-drying. Besides enjoying the delicious food, simply standing in front of the shop and watching the rice cake-making process is also a fascinating experience.
