Guo Rongshi Handmade Ham

Review

Guo Rongshi Handmade Ham is on Fuguo Road in Hualien City. A Yam Travel souvenir guide dates it to 1939, while Supertaste calls it a local institution of around eighty years; either way it is a rare Hualien gift shop built around Western-style ham. Instead of the usual mochi and Hualien sweet-potato cakes, its signature is handmade hams, which makes it a go-to when you want a gift that stands out.

The hams are roasted over charcoal and smoked the traditional way with cypress shavings, with no added spices, colourings or preservatives, so you taste the savoury meat and a light woody smoke. Besides whole hams there is black-pork ham, ham cheesecake and thick-cut ham sandwiches, and the shop has a dining area where you can pair a light meal with coffee or tea. Neither source lists prices, so check in store before buying.

Most reviewers praise the ham's quality and careful ingredients; even people who usually skip ham say they enjoyed it. The café food and drinks also get good marks, and the space is clean, modern and comfortable. The less common criticisms are that prices are not cheap and that the shop is a little far from the central tourist area, so it needs a dedicated trip; it also has fewer reviews and less buzz than the main souvenir streets.

It opens roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Google shows a 9 a.m. start on weekdays and 8 a.m. at weekends, so sources differ and you should check before going. It sits on Fuguo Road in the north of the city, some distance from Hualien Station, so a car or scooter is easiest. Ham is a chilled product, so if you are taking it to another county, ask about insulated packing and note the shelf life.

It suits anyone hunting for an unusual souvenir or who loves Western-style charcuterie, and it also works for a ham-sandwich brunch. On a first visit, eat in to taste before deciding which ham to take home. A whole ham suits older relatives, while friends might enjoy something novel like the ham cheesecake.