A-Lan Caozai Kueh

Review

A-Lan Caozai Kueh, at No. 90 Jishan Street in Jiufen, is one of the old street's most frequently named souvenir shops. Online guides say it has operated since 1950 and is now in its fourth generation. The cakes are made fresh daily without preservatives, so they keep only briefly, and almost every media piece or blog about Jiufen mentions the shop.

The skin is kneaded with mugwort or cudweed into a deep green dough that is chewier than mochi, with a faint herbal aroma. Fillings come savoury and sweet, including dried radish with rice, mung bean, red bean, pickled mustard greens and taro. Bloggers rate the savoury dried radish highest, while the red bean is smooth and not cloying. The taro rice cake dumpling, full of chunky taro and fried shallot aroma, also has many fans.

Praise centres on the soft, chewy skin, the warmth of freshly made cakes and the way a savoury filling plays off the slightly sweet wrapper; the queue is long but moves fast. Critics say similar cakes can be found all over Taiwan and are not especially memorable. Some find the mung bean a bit salty on its own and the taro version not chewy enough, so they suggest buying a mix.

Online listings show hours of roughly 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., extended to about 8:30 p.m. at weekends; sources differ slightly, so check before you go. Guides list each cake at NT$15, though some recent visitors report slightly higher prices, so go by the in-store sign. It is mainly takeaway, with boxed sets for gifts and home delivery available.

Good for anyone wanting a Jiufen speciality to take home or a snack while walking the old street. First-timers can pick one savoury and one sweet, such as dried radish and red bean, plus a taro dumpling to compare. If you are giving them as gifts, eat them the same or next day, and steam them briefly if they turn firm.