Meihao Peanuts

Review

Meihao Peanuts is on Zhonghe Road in Fenglin Township, Hualien County. Its clean fair-faced concrete building sits right beside a rice field, making it a popular rest stop on East Rift Valley road trips in recent years. Both Supertaste and Yam Travel include it in their Hualien souvenir guides, emphasising its focus on Fenglin peanuts from local farms that harvest twice a year.

The most recommended item is the peanut soup, which Supertaste says is simmered for six hours; it is velvety with a rich, milky aroma, and a warm bowl with a view of the fields is soothing. The shop section sells roasted peanuts, savoury fried peanuts, peanut butter, peanut oil, peanut nougat, peanut brittle and black sesame paste, and reviewers also mention peanut coffee, peanut ice cream and sugar-free peanut butter. Neither source lists prices, so check on site.

Visitors like the clean, well-designed space with a full view of the paddies. The peanut soup and ice cream draw frequent praise, and the packaged peanut products are seen as smart yet practical gifts. The most common caution is that nearly everything contains peanuts, so it is entirely unsuitable for anyone with a peanut allergy. It is also in the countryside and hard to reach without a car or scooter.

It opens from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and closes on Wednesdays; Google shows a 5 p.m. close, so sources differ and arriving before late afternoon is safest. The shop is on the outskirts of Fenglin, some distance from Fenglin Station, so driving or riding is easiest, and parking at the door is usually simple. If your plans include Lintianshan or the Guangfu Sugar Factory, combine them into a half-day valley trip.

It suits travellers driving the East Rift Valley who want a break and something warm, and anyone shopping for Hualien farm-produce souvenirs. Start with a bowl of peanut soup or a peanut ice cream, then choose a jar of peanut butter or a bag of roasted peanuts to take away. For older relatives, traditional sweets such as peanut brittle or nougat make good gifts.