Lao Shun Xiang Bakery

Review

Lao Shun Xiang Bakery is at No. 341 Xinzhuang Road, under the arcade of Xinzhuang's Temple Street. According to Smile Taiwan and Supertaste, it was founded in 1870, giving it roughly 150 years of history, and is now run by fourth-generation owner Wang Ming-chao, who began learning from his family at seventeen and took over in the 1990s. It is one of Xinzhuang's most iconic old bakeries.

Its most historic product is salty Guang bread, also called peace bread, once a portable ration. It is made only from sugar, salt, flour and overnight aged dough, giving a dense, chewy bite that grows more fragrant the longer you chew. The ingredients are natural with no preservatives, and each piece is hand-pressed in the family's old wooden moulds. The other signature is the gold-medal pineapple cake, with a fine, soft crust like a sun cake and a traditional winter melon and pineapple filling that is slightly sticky, almost malty, with balanced sweetness and tang. The shop also sells Wenchang cakes, engagement cakes and other Taiwanese pastries.

Diners like the friendly prices and the option to buy single pieces, and consider the pineapple cakes and Guang bread ideal gifts, while admiring the bakery's commitment to handmade work. On the other side, some find the pineapple cake unremarkable, and those used to modern pure-pineapple cakes may find the filling too sweet or lacking fruitiness; the Guang bread is firm, so mind your teeth.

Recent reports list a bag of Guang bread at NT$50 and a pineapple cake at NT$16 each, while a 2020 article gave NT$12 per cake, so prices have risen; check in store. Hours are about 09:00 to 21:00, and reports say it opens year-round, with orders peaking before festivals. It is a grab-and-go counter under the arcade. Parking around Temple Street is hard, so walk from MRT Xinzhuang or Touqianzhuang Station, and you can visit Ciyou Temple on the way.

It suits anyone wanting a Taiwanese souvenir with a story, or a snack while strolling Xinzhuang's Temple Street. On a first visit, buy a bag of Guang bread and a few pineapple cakes to try, then pick up boxes as gifts if you like them; for weddings or offerings, ask about engagement cakes and traditional pastries. Guang bread hardens over time, so eat it soon for the best texture.