No. 94, Sec.1, Wanhe Rd., Nantun District, Taichung City
Phone
+886-4-23899857, +886-937-439397(Ms. LIN)
Fax
+886-4-23860910
Feature
Cuisine
Confectionery with a History of a Hundred Years
Hemp textiles are the tender leaves of jute; the main production area is in Nantun Taichung. The older generation would make hemp textile soup in the summer time because it can clear the fire and disperse the summerheat. On the old street in Nantun Taichung, there is an old confectionery of one hundred years “ Lin Jin Sheng Xiang” which is also where the Jute confectionery is.
The Tian Ma Ma, Fumei CHEN recalled the business history over a hundred years that the first generation started the pastry business by flour making. The second generation, A-Tu LIN laid the foundation of the family business by birthday bun with bean paste filling and all sorts of pastries. Fumei CHEN is the fourth generation, and she successfully created hemp textiles products as a representative local food in Taichung. She said, “Food and Beverage business is a business of cosientieousness. The color of our products all come from the raw material, hemp textiles, not color addictives; the ingredients are handmade following the ancient approach and that is why we maintained the position.”
To blend the hemp textiles into the pastry, ridding the bitterness is the most bothersome. Destem and keep the leaves manually, then continuous rubbing and kneading through the bamboo scoop. The bitter water has to be washed away before the hemp textiles can be used. Mrs. Fumei researched for a long time and found having the dry hemp textile powder added in the malt sugar fillings so that malt can balance the bitterness and the flavor is sweet but not too rich and it doesn’t taste bitter.
The texture of mandarin cake with hemp textiles is delicate and the flavor is slightly sweet with bitterness. It is a good pastry choice to go along with tea. It is a star product that often sold out during the exam period or festivals.
Wanho Temple is the center of Nantun Old Street which is the oldest in Taichung city. The rammed earth house and the red brick walls are like the time tunnel that carries a strong ancent feeling. Now the confectionery is run by the 5th generation, and the flavor is remained. It successfully combines the local featured products in hope to make the younger generation know the traditional taste along with the development of the Nantun Old Street.
