Kang Family Grandma's Fenchang

Review

Kang Family Grandma's Fenchang sets up at the doorway of No. 131 Jiangong Road in Dajia, a few steps from Zhenlan Temple. One article says it started around 1960 and has run for over sixty years; the stall is tiny but has been featured by many media outlets and is one of the most recognizable snacks around the temple. The menu is just fenchang and sausage, one thing perfected over decades.

Fenchang is sweet potato starch and fresh pork stuffed into casings, cut into pieces and half pan-fried until fragrant on the surface. The outside is slightly crisp while the inside is bouncy, almost jelly-like; one article likens it to a mini ba-wan meatball. Its own flavor is mild, so it relies on a savory garlic sauce and the stall's own chili sauce; tell them in advance if you do not want it spicy. A small portion is NT$50 and a large NT$100, and 2023 data lists sausages at NT$10 each. A blogger noted it still tastes good once cooled, so it works well as a walking snack.

Most diners see it as a Dajia-only specialty, and the bouncy texture with garlic-chili sauce is addictive, as the queues show. Still, one blogger said it looked nothing like the fenchang they expected and took a few bites to get used to, and the small portion is on the light side, so big eaters may want the large. Opinions are somewhat split: fans keep coming back, while others find it ordinary.

It opens at 11:30 on weekdays and 11:00 on weekends and runs until 23:00, one of the few temple-area snacks available late at night. Older data says weekday opening was in the afternoon, so sources differ; check before going. It is mainly takeaway, with a short queue at busy times. Yilufa Mung Bean Slush is right next door, and the two are often eaten as a pair.

It suits anyone wanting a snack found only in Dajia and who likes chewy textures. Start with a small portion with chili, order more if you like it, and pair it with a mung bean milk from next door for a classic Dajia temple combo.