Bao Zhen Xiang Longan Cake (Original Shop)

Review

The original Bao Zhen Xiang Longan Cake shop is at No. 169, Section 2, Zhangnan Road in Changhua City, opposite the Dazhu police station on the east side of town and some distance from the railway station. Reports say it carries more than a century of baking craft: it began with pastries for festivals, weddings and temple blessings before making its name with longan cake. Today it is a fixture on Changhua souvenir lists, and one article notes it won a gold award among Changhua's top 100 souvenirs.

The signature longan cake is made with dried longan and topped with crushed walnuts. The crumb is moist and dense, never dry, with longan in almost every bite, sweet without being cloying and good with tea. The off-menu taro mochi cake weighs about 375 g, a thick layer of taro paste wrapped around chewy mochi with sesame on the base, while the triple-Q cake pairs red bean paste and mochi with savoury pork floss. There are also firm and soft baumkuchen, the firm one slightly crisp with a pure egg flavour and the soft one fluffy, plus cheese mochi cakes, egg yolk pastries and bread.

Most articles and diners praise the generous longan cake and its classy packaging, ideal as a gift for elders. Some find the bread items ordinary, and many write-ups read like promotional copy, so taste is a personal call. Reference prices in a 2026 article: NT$220 for a box of ten longan cakes, NT$160 each for the taro mochi cake and the triple-Q cake, and NT$270 for baumkuchen; check in store.

It opens daily, but sources disagree on closing time, some saying 21:00 and others 22:00, so confirm before you go. The products are said to contain no preservatives and keep about 14 days at room temperature; longan cake comes boxed or vacuum-packed individually, and online orders and home delivery are available. Since it is far from the station, it is best reached by car or scooter, and the firm baumkuchen is limited each day, so go early if you want it.

It suits anyone buying a classic pastry gift box for elders or colleagues. First-timers can pick up a box of longan cakes plus one taro mochi cake for themselves; if you like sweet-and-savoury, try the triple-Q cake.