First opened: 1991
Address: No.120, Jhongshan Rd., Lioujia Dist.
Phone: 06-6983223, 6989459
Business hours: 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
You’ve probably had white cut meat (three layer meat), but you’ve probably never had it prepared from mutton. Cingmao Huang, owner of Koufu Mutton Shop, located in Taiwan’s Lioujia District, has many years of experience in raising and selling mutton. As a result, he created his own version of white cut meat with lamb in order to satisfy gourmands and have since obtained positive word-of-mouth that brought fame and popularity to his restaurant and it now acts as a role model for other mutton restaurants in the area. Despite imitation efforts, after comparing mutton from all other restaurants, it is obvious that Koufu Mutton Shop’s white cut mutton has a very unique taste.
White cut mutton is made by taking the meat from the ribs to the abdomen of the lamb and steaming it on a cooking rack until it is cooked thoroughly, which is then cut up into slices and dipped in sauce. Owner Huang states that the secret lies in the quality of the lamb. The texture of the meat is just right, neither too dry nor too greasy.
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Lioujia Bean Sprout Noodles
The main ingredients in Lioujia bean sprout noodles are noodles, bean sprouts, and garlic soy sauce. The noodles used have a similar texture to oil noodles but thinner and if cooked correctly it has a chewy soft consistency. Normally, it is prepared by boiling the noodles first and then letting it cool, before adding the cooked bean sprouts and garlic soy sauce on top to complete the dish.
In the Lioujia District, when ordering these noodles, they always come with miso soup. The shop’s miso soup is different from other miso soups and can be mixed with the noodles to give a unique flavor that stands out and invigorates your taste buds.
Due to the high demand for spring rolls needed over the Tombsweeping Festival (Cingming Festival), large amounts of the noodles are used and the owner usually has to prepare over 1,000 catties in order to meet the demand. At all of the region’s important temple fairs, bean sprout noodles are often served.
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Temple Plaza Millet Mush Tang Yuan Shaved Ice
Address: No.38, Ren’ai St., Lioujia Dist., Tainan City 734
Directions: alight at Lioujia market bus stop and walk for about 6 minutes
Business hours: 7:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (ends at 5:00 p.m. in winter)
Early in the morning you can always see a crowd of people in front of the Mazu Temple square. The stall was started in 1912, and since then, it has passed down to the fourth generation. All of the ingredients are handmade, with the beans so soft they melt in your mouth, and the sweet potato noodles possessing such a fresh taste that it is sold out in seconds. The stall’s house special contains a traditional drink made of roasted flour (called millet mush), which contains such a flavorful aroma that when added to the shaved ice or hot sticky rice balls, it creates a unique and unforgettable flavor. You can also see a demonstration of knife skills as the sticky rice balls are expertly cut up. The fresh sticky rice balls have a soft yet chewy texture, which has won its honourable title as a traditional ice shop!.
The Luoliliang, or the mountain soursop, originated in South America. It was imported to Taiwan during the era of Japanese administration and became famous in the period of deprivation. The mountain soursop used to be the fruit for imperial use for the Japanese emperor, a memory which is unforgettable for many people. There is a rich fragrance when the fruit is ripe, which is why it is used to extract fragrance essences by people in other countries. Because of the nutritious ingredients and colloids present in the fruit, it has the nickname "King of the Fruit". However, due to its unique characteristics, it is not easy to sell, and with nutritious foods highly available at this day and age, its demand has further declined. The most common way to eat the fruit is by peeling the skin and mixing it with rock sugar. However, because mountain soursop contains high amounts of enzymes which cause it to spoil quickly, it cannot be bought or eaten by anyone but a few limited gourmands. By incorporating it into ice cream, the original flavor is kept intact, allowing more to enjoy this fruit, satisfying even the pickiest of taste buds.
The fire crane flower industry began in Taiwan in 1997, with Lioujia having 20 hectares of land for its cultivation. Every year, over three million flowers are grown, supplying Japan with over 460 thousand flowers worth 85 million NTD, becoming it’s main supplier. They have already replaced Hawaii and Mauritius as important suppliers.
The climate year-round in Taiwan is suitable for the fire crane flowers, with the spring and summer seasons as the best seasons for growth. Lioujia currently has over twenty varieties of the Fire Crane flowers, with the Japanese usually preferring white and pastel colors over the red and two-tone colors that the Taiwanese love. As a result of the export of Fire Crane flowers, they have become common in flower arrangements, with the red flowers used during New Year's to provide a sense of auspiciousness. Experts suggest that when choosing flowers, pick ones that are brightly colored with no damage to the petals or center and no spots. If you wish to prevent the growth of bacteria, you can add 1cc of bleach (for every kilogram of water) to the water, allowing them to last longer.
Native to Africa, these fish were imported to Taiwan in 1946, and after several years of selective breeding, they are now completely different from the original species. They are now unique to Taiwan and in 2002 their name was officially changed to Taiwanese sea bream, also known as Wu Guo Fish.
The flesh is tender and has no bones, with the chin being the most coveted part at barbeques. The fish skin can be extracted to make gelatin, which can be used in medicinal capsules as well as baked goods. Fish scales can be used to make collagen, which is one of the main ingredients in cosmetics. Lioujia District has fish farms that span 210 hectares, containing over 460 fish ponds. Around 190 hectares is taken up by the Taiwanese sea bream, making Lioujia District one of the most important production districts in Tainan. In 2008, Lioujia District was awarded the Sweden ISO22000 and TGAP certification. The annual production value is 350 million NTD.
Important farmland regions in Lioujia District include: Lioujia, Yanpi, Cijia, Erjia, Shueilin, Jhongshe, Gangzaitou, Linfongying, Gueizaigang, Jingpu, Wangyegong, Shueilioudong, Jioujhongciao, Daciouyuan, and Nanshihkeng. Among these, Shueilin, Jhongshe, Gangzaitou, Linfongying, and Gueizaigang are the major areas of rice production. The paddy rice growing area in this region is the largest, with a planting area of about 1300 hectares, and a crop of about 10,140 tons. The rice field in Lioujia District uses the best quality water from the Wushantou Reservoir for irrigation. The Farmers’ Association works with Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station that imports the Penglai rice, used for making sushi, from Japan, and named it “Yueguang rice” after modifying and enhancing its characteristics, giving the rice fragrance and a chewy texture. The Farmers’ Association makes its purchase at a high price, so the farmers are motivated to grow their original high quality rice, namely, the Yueguang rice, Chihshan rice, and Jingzuan No. 9 rice, which are sold throughout Taiwan.
Order hotlines:
(06) 698-3632 Lioujia Farmers’ Association Promotion Stock
(06) 698-3630 Lioujia Farmers’ Association Rice Husking Factory