With the recent opening of the Hangzhou-Taizhou High-Speed Railway, the journey from Hangzhou to Taizhou now takes just one hour, and from Shanghai to Taizhou, it’s two hours. We are once again closer to the culinary heights of Taizhou, Zhejiang.
Regarding the Hangzhou-Taizhou High-Speed Railway—the tastiest high-speed railway in Zhejiang, our Leilei has put together an incredibly detailed guide.
After waiting for 1326 days, we finally welcomed the opening of the tastiest high-speed railway in Zhejiang!
Don’t rush to envy friends within Zhejiang Province. Before the high-speed railway opened, another gourmet channel via express delivery was already in place.
This time, I ordered a large batch of Taizhou delicacies online, mostly carb bombs.
They are mainly from Linhai, Taizhou, as the official list of local snacks in Linhai alone includes as many as 141 varieties.
I placed the order in the afternoon and received it via SF Express the next morning. The ingredients were very fresh, and upon opening the package, I found that each seller had packed their items very well.
Most of the food was vacuum-packed to maintain freshness. For items with a shorter shelf life like tofu, embedded cakes, and wheat cakes, ice packs were added for proper preservation.
Let me share my conclusions from this experience:
1. There were virtually no disappointments; 80% of the items are ones I would repurchase.
2. They are incredibly filling and easy to make you gain weight 😺.
Nowadays, urbanites are all about light eating, checking calorie counts before buying food. But in front of the Taizhou people, these concerns are all insubstantial. “Feeling full” is the top priority!
This article is purely non-sponsored and all items were purchased at my own expense. You can enjoy it with peace of mind. Most of the Taizhou delicacies were bought from the Taobao store “Peipei Gourmet Shop.”
The online shopping list is at the end of the article. The following items are ranked roughly by how delicious they are.
1. Linhai Wheat Cake
💰8.5 yuan/piece
I ordered two flavors this time: potato and meat wheat cake, and pumpkin and meat wheat cake.
The wheat cakes are huge and very filling. Locally in Taizhou, they usually sell for 3-4 yuan each. Adding logistics and packaging, 8.5 yuan is reasonable.
I started with the pumpkin-filled wheat cake. I added very little oil and heated it slowly over low heat. The sizzling sound during the process made me feel incredibly relaxed.
After frying, the barley cake is cut into four pieces, revealing the orange pumpkin shreds in the filling, which emit a natural pumpkin fragrance when you get close. The minced meat is a mix of fat and lean, and one bite is so delicious that it brings tears to your eyes, family!
You can also roll up the barley cake to eat, with two layers of cake and one layer of filling, providing an incredibly satisfying experience.
The barley cake is a generous portion that two adults can share, with half a cake being enough to make you feel eight-tenths full. The biggest drawback of Taizhou cuisine is that it’s too filling! (Sounds like a compliment, though.)
However, my attempt at reheating the potato-flavored barley cake was less successful, as I only used the microwave for a quick zap until it became warm. The downside was that the final texture was too soft.
(It wasn’t that it wasn’t delicious; it was just my reheating technique that was off.)
The filling in the middle is not potato shreds but soft mashed potatoes, which indeed have a strong potato aroma after heating. But if the outer layer is fried over low heat to make it crispy with a bit of oil, the result would be much better!
Other flavors include: pork, cold rice with meat, dried vegetables with meat, and shredded radish with meat.
The taste of the barley cakes bought online will naturally be a bit discounted compared to freshly made ones, but being able to enjoy a hot Taizhou street food with just a few taps on your phone is truly a pleasure.
2. Taizhou Qian Gao
💰13.5 yuan/piece, usually two pieces for free shipping
Taizhou Qian Gao is another incredibly filling food.
A friend from Huangyan, Taizhou, told me: One of Taizhou’s major industries is seafood, and fishermen work hard at sea, easily getting hungry. Therefore, food needs to be very filling, leading to the creation of “filling kings” like Qian Gao.
I first heated the Qian Gao by steaming, and the resulting glutinous rice layer was moist and very tempting.
The chewy glutinous rice layer of the Qian Gao contains a rich filling, including two types of vermicelli: fine rice noodles and thick sweet potato noodles.
The vegetables include cabbage and carrots, which pair well with the vermicelli for a refreshing taste.
Additionally, there are many tender braised pork pieces inside, which, when combined with the vermicelli and vegetables, provide an incredibly satisfying bite.
This crescent-shaped cake contains vegetables, staple food, and meat all in one, feeling like a miniaturized version of a full meal.
Not only do fishermen find it satisfying, but for us foodies, even though we claim to follow a low-carb diet, seeing Qian Gao makes us instantly cave in.
For the pleasure of enjoying this Qian Gao, I’m willing to run an extra hour!
Actually, the seller also included a packet of braised pork sauce, which would probably make the barley cake even tastier if poured inside. But at first, I didn’t know how to use it and thought it was meant for something like bread with lard, a miss on my part.
Later at the office, I tried heating it up in the microwave, but the texture was a disaster. The filling, when warmed, tasted great, but the chewy soul of the outer layer became unevenly soft and hard in some parts. I still recommend steaming it.
3. Glutinous Rice Cakes
💰 4.8 yuan per piece, 27 yuan for a 1.5 kg pack of brown sugar glutinous rice cakes (minimum purchase of 1.5 kg)
This time, I tried three different methods for the online-purchased glutinous rice cakes, and each one was amazing.
1. Sprinkle with brown sugar for brown sugar glutinous rice cakes
2. Coat the surface with egg and pan-fry
3. Wrap with seaweed slices from Sister Hui’s (available on Taobao at “Sister Hui’s Seafood”)
In my opinion, the order of deliciousness is: 1 > 3 > 2. Below, I will elaborate on each method in order.
The glutinous rice cakes, straight out of the fridge, feel quite hard, but our goal is a soft and chewy texture.
I suggest microwaving the glutinous rice cakes for about 1 minute first, then slowly pan-frying them over low heat until the surface becomes soft and chewy.
Once they are soft and chewy, spread brown sugar on the surface of the glutinous rice cakes, roll them up into a plump shape, and cut them in half to reveal the brown sugar filling in the middle.
Taking a bite while still hot, the aroma of the glutinous rice envelops the sweet taste of brown sugar, and I almost pass out from how delicious it is. The downside is that it’s very filling; just a small piece makes me feel stuffed.
The key point is to spread the brown sugar evenly, so there are no parts that are slightly sweet and others that are overly sweet.
The method of wrapping with seaweed is much simpler. No matter how you do it, just make the rice cakes soft and then wrap them with crispy seaweed. The pure aroma of rice mixed with the taste of the sea is something I won’t forget.
My suggestion is to pan-fry with very little oil, which will enhance the seaweed’s freshness and the rice cakes’ aroma.
The method with eggs is relatively more complex. After making the rice cakes soft, coat them with egg and pan-fry over low heat until the surface turns golden.
I originally wanted to dip it in Thai sweet chili sauce, but I found that McDonald’s sweet and sour sauce worked surprisingly well, cutting through the richness and delivering a complex burst of egg and rice aromas with each bite.
4. Baishuiyang Tofu
💰 27 yuan for two boxes with free shipping (minimum purchase of two boxes), each box weighing 800g
My initial concern was that the tofu might not be fresh when bought online, but after opening the package and making it myself, my worries disappeared. I even felt that this tofu could compete with the tofu from local markets, and both boxes I received were intact.
When people from Linhai dine out, they often order a dish of Baishuiyang tofu, which is a beloved local specialty.
This reminded me of what a friend once told me: “As a child, I loved following my parents to the tofu shop to buy freshly ground tofu. The moment we got it, it was still warm, and we would eat it right away, savoring the rich aroma of the beans.”
After making a tofu soup with it, the first thought that crossed my mind was: “I need to keep repurchasing this tofu, I’m going to be a tofu enthusiast this month!” However, the downside is that fresh tofu requires more complex packaging for shipping, making it more expensive.
The tofu is first placed in a plastic box and then wrapped in a vacuum bag. Handmade tofu requires the elderly to start making it at 1 AM, so it can be shipped out by the morning.
I followed the Taiwanese method, adding Jinhua two-headed black ham, sliced green onions, and mushrooms. I lightly stir-fried them before adding the tofu and rolling it, then sprinkled a bit of chopped green chili and side dishes. When it first came out of the pot, the aroma was irresistible, and the first bite was declared the best tofu I’ve had in 2021.
The tofu had an incredibly strong bean aroma. Was this really tofu delivered from afar? It was even more fragrant than freshly made tofu. The tofu had a subtle smoky flavor, perfectly complemented by the ham in the broth.
The texture of the tofu was between that of soft and firm tofu, soft but not melting in the mouth, with plenty of moisture. The fresh ingredients made this tofu dish endlessly enjoyable.
I recommended it to a good friend, who cooked it in lamb soup and said it was too delicious! You can try it without hesitation; if you don’t like it, I’m willing to take ten lashes.
5. Linhai Flat Dumpling Wrappers
💰 6.8 for a large box
The price of these flat dumpling wrappers can even compete with those in local markets. Orders in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region usually arrive the next day. When I received them, I found the freshness to be quite good.
Initially, I expected them to be wrappers for small wontons, but upon seeing their size, they are perfect for large wontons as well.
The wonton wrappers are not very thin (compared to the ultra-thin flat dumpling wrappers) nor very thick.
The wrappers have small black spots, which is normal as they are sprinkled with alkali, which turns black when it comes into contact with water.
The wrappers are trapezoidal, ideal for making wontons in the shape of a treasure chest.
If you are a coriander lover, I am about to share a delicious wonton filling recipe, improved from my grandmother’s method: coriander + minced meat + mushroom pieces + a bit of chopped green chili!
After wrapping the wontons, I had two friends try the filling, and they all said it was delicious. Go for it, everyone! I think adding some seasonal bamboo shoot pieces would also be very tasty.
Next is cooking the wontons. As soon as they were put into the pot, the wrappers turned semi-transparent, revealing the green filling inside. It felt like eating crystal wontons! After adding more water to cook them thoroughly, they were no longer as transparent when served.
The wonton wrappers were slippery and had a slight chewiness. However, the thin wrappers are prone to breaking, so I think medium-sized wontons would be the best choice.
6. Xiaozhi Fine Rice Noodles
💰 4.8 yuan for 500g, estimated to make over 10 servings.
This small Zhi fine rice noodles have deeply impressed our editorial team.
Recently, I got up early to stir-fry some rice noodles and brought them to the office for my colleagues to try. The first ones to eat, Xianyu and Leilei, were completely hooked. They asked me for the link the same day they tasted it.
Regarding the small Zhi fine rice noodles, I prepared them in two ways.
1. Stir-fried rice noodles
I cracked two eggs and added some simple vegetables and rice noodles to stir-fry together. The fragrant dish greatly stimulated my appetite in the morning, making me feel that getting up early was worth it.
I didn’t soak the rice noodles in water beforehand but directly rinsed them clean and then stir-fried them, sprinkling water to soften them gradually.
The rice noodles are very thin, allowing them to absorb flavors relatively better. Jiuyuan, a colleague from Wenzhou, said that the rice noodles from Taizhou are even thinner than those from Wenzhou.
The rice noodles have a rich aroma of rice, soft yet slightly chewy, and when eaten with vegetable strips and egg pieces, the texture is very rich.
Partially stir-frying the rice noodles to a “crust” state is also very delicious, providing a satisfying crispy mouthfeel. Using lard for stir-frying would enhance the crispiness.
2. Rice noodles + ginger juice + clams
In Linhai, there is a local snack called steamed ginger juice, which combines ginger juice, yellow wine, eggs, walnuts, lean meat, brown sugar, and sesame to create a super nutritious bowl of soup.
Seeing the ginger juice, I had an idea: what if seafood noodles were enhanced with a bit of ginger juice? So I tried it with clam soup rice noodles, and the answer is yes!
Adding a bit of ginger juice to the rice noodles soup gave it a yellowish hue, doubling the appetite appeal. I had pre-fried the clams to infuse their freshness into the rice noodles soup, and the ginger juice also helped to remove the fishy smell.
However, the soup rice noodles were not as delicious as the stir-fried ones. The rice noodles were smooth and soft, even a bit too soft, but their advantage lies in the flavorful soup that makes it enjoyable to drink.
7. Black rice glutinous cake
💰10.8 yuan per jin, one jin consists of 4 pieces.
Upon delivery, the black rice glutinous cake’s appearance, freshness, and softness were significantly reduced. When I opened the package, I noticed moisture on the surface of the cake, wondering if it had gone bad.
Because the appearance on the tb details page is like this↓
I slowly heated it using a low flame, and even with the reduced quality, the taste was quite impressive. I can only imagine how delicious the original version must be!
The mochi is filled with sweet bean paste, which has a smooth and creamy texture, almost like eating ice cream. It has a strong aroma of osmanthus flowers and herbs, which lingers in the mouth for a while.
8. Seaweed Cakes
💰21.8 yuan for 10 pieces
Seaweed cakes were first recommended by Xinxin, who said she had the best seaweed cakes on Ziyang Street. The freshly baked cakes had a crispy crust and a rich aroma of seaweed. Xinxin even brought back two rolls for us.
The taste of the ones brought back is definitely not as crispy as those bought on the spot, and they can get soggy over time. Therefore, for seaweed cakes bought online, it is recommended to microwave the whole package for 1 to 1.5 minutes, which will make them much crispier.
Qingting, who is known for being picky about food in the editorial department, said she was pleasantly surprised by how good these seaweed cakes were.
9. Lard Steamed Buns
💰 2.4 yuan each
Lard steamed buns are very delicious when steamed. The buns have many fine pores and become bouncy after steaming, about 70% as good as those freshly made in Linhai.
The buns are quite large, and when split open, they are filled with a rich aroma of pork lard, followed by sweet brown sugar and sesame.
However, the calorie content is quite high, with visible amounts of pork lard in the middle. I had to pour some of the lard out before I could eat it heartily.
10. Brown Sugar Steamed Buns
💰 6.75 for a large one
The brown sugar steamed buns are packaged with care, in a vacuum. Just looking at the surface patterns, they resemble a beautiful piece of marble (though they are actually very soft).
The portion is super large; one large brown sugar steamed bun can be cut into about 10 slices, and eating two or three slices is enough to fill you up.
As the brown sugar steamed buns are steamed, their pores slowly expand, and they become quite elastic by the end. Although they cannot compare to freshly made ones in a large steamer in Taizhou, they are better than those from chain breakfast shops on the street.
When sliced and held, you can clearly feel their softness.
The sweetness of the brown sugar in the whole bun is very considerate, about the same as a three-part sweet, and the aroma of brown sugar permeates every corner of the bun. Delicious!
Could the seller consider offering smaller portion packaging next time? The large ones take two days to finish, and the vacuum packaging loses its freshness once opened.
11. Egg White Brown Sugar Cake
💰 9.8 500g
The egg white yang gao from Linhai is an improved version of the traditional rice yang gao, with the addition of egg whites making the yang gao appear more translucent.
Similarly, steaming is the best way to reheat the yang gao. Between two layers of soft and glutinous yang gao is a filling of brown sugar, creating a delightful aroma.
The egg white and brown sugar yang gao, when steamed, has plenty of air pockets. A close sniff reveals the aroma of fermented rice wine. The overall texture is soft and bouncy, akin to eating cotton candy.
A closer look reveals steam escaping, and the sight of this food’s mist in the early morning completely wakes me up.
Upon biting into it, the rice fragrance combined with the brown sugar and wine flavors assault the taste buds, making this breakfast a joyful experience.
12. Soft and Fragrant Late Rice Cake
💰 3 400g
This rice cake offers excellent value for money, as 3 yuan can buy two pieces, cheaper than even the local market.
I made a rice cake soup with frosted cabbage, carrots, oyster mushrooms, and rice cakes. The rice cake slices were very soft but lacked a bit of the chewy texture.
If stir-fried, the rice cakes might have a better texture.
I found the texture inferior to the Zhuji Jinma rice cakes previously sold by Hema. The enchanting combination of stickiness and softness left a lasting impression, making me wonder if people in the land of the morning calm have ever tasted such delightful rice cakes.
Zhuji Jinma Rice Cakes↑
13. Handmade Yam Ball
💰 19.8 for one serving (20 pieces)
Based on reviews, this should taste good, and the seller’s packaging is quite thorough, with foam insulation boxes, ice packs, and custom plastic containers, all vacuum-sealed.
However, upon receiving the order and opening it, I found the yam balls had all deformed, with several disintegrating upon opening, prompting me to abandon the idea of cooking them.
The seller’s images made them look as large as tangyuan, but in reality, they are only one-third the size of regular tangyuan.
Seller’s Display of Yam Balls↑
14. Taizhou Ginger Syrup Candy
💰 19.9 per portion
Taizhou people really love ginger products. Seafood tends to be cold, so ginger is needed to balance it.
I’m not a fan of sweets, but this ginger candy got me. It uses small lotus ginger to extract ginger juice, then slowly boils it with brown sugar, and finally hand-pulls it.
The ginger aroma is still quite strong, and even at the end of chewing, there’s a rich sesame fragrance.
15. Fermented Glutinous Rice Wine
💰 5.5 per portion
Compared to most fermented glutinous rice wines on the market, this one is a bit thicker. First, feel its thickness.
It has a slightly sour taste, and the best part is the low sweetness, so you can scoop a few more spoonfuls without feeling overwhelmed. It’s good to eat directly or add to small dumplings for soup.
Finally, here’s the list of Taizhou delicacies I bought online↓
Online Shopping for Taizhou Delicacies
1. Linhai Wheat Cake
💰 8.5 yuan each
2. Taizhou Embedded Cake
💰 13.5 yuan each, usually two come with free shipping
3. Glutinous Rice Cake
💰 4.8 yuan per portion, Brown Sugar Sesame Cake (3-jin pack) 27 yuan (minimum purchase of 3 jin)
4. Baishuiyang Tofu
💰 27 yuan for two boxes with free shipping (minimum purchase of two boxes), each box 800g
5. Linhai Flat Dumpling Wrapper
💰 6.8 for a large box
6. **Xiaozhi Fine Rice Noodles**
💰 4.8 yuan for 500g, estimated to make over 10 servings
7. **Black Rice Sesame Cake**
💰 10.8 yuan per jin (500g), one jin consists of 4 pieces
8. **Seaweed Cake**
💰 21.8 yuan for 10 pieces
9. **Lard Steamed Bun**
💰 2.4 yuan each
10. **Brown Sugar Steamed Bun**
💰 6.75 yuan for a large one
11. **Egg White Brown Sugar Cake**
💰 9.8 yuan for 500g
12. **Soft Fragrant Late Rice Cake**
💰 3 yuan for 400g
13. **Handmade Yam Flour Dumplings**
💰 19.8 yuan per serving (20 pieces)
14. **Taizhou Ginger Syrup Candy**
💰 19.9 yuan per serving
15. **Fermented Rice Wine**
💰 5.5 yuan per serving
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The people from Taizhou I know always get very excited when they talk about their hometown’s cuisine. They’ve recommended embedded cakes, wheat cakes, and seaweed cakes to me many times.
For them, when they miss home, ordering some local delicacies online quickly soothes their longing. For someone like me, who isn’t from Taizhou, ordering these foods online feels like discovering a new world.
As the New Year approaches, we invite everyone to share in the comments where they would like to eat in 2022. We will do our best to explore some delicious places for you.
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