讀後心得

"The Huazhen Breakfast Second-Generation Flagship Store" supplies fresh Chinese pastries and snacks every day until sold out. Located in Donggang, Pingtung, near the famous "Jiaji Charcoal Grilled Steamed Buns," Huazhen has become a popular souvenir brand in the area since its establishment in 1978. The store's most popular offerings include freshly made sesame pancakes, fried dough sticks, and steamed buns, with the "Health Bean Curd Skin," "Malaysian Soft Cake," and "Shanghai Health Puff" being the most renowned. Employees start preparing the delicious food at five in the morning, so it's best to arrive early to enjoy them. Additionally, the "Huazhen Souvenir Flagship Store" next door also offers local specialty products such as tuna cakes and Japanese red bean cakes to meet customer demands. Huazhen insists on using local produce from Taiwanese small farmers to preserve the delicious flavors.

"Hua Zhen Breakfast Chain Store" offers a variety of freshly made traditional Chinese pastries and snacks every day, available until sold out. The competition among breakfast shops in Donggang, Pingtung is intense, and just a few steps away from the popular "Jiaji Charcoal Grilled Bun," you can reach the well-known local "Hua Zhen Breakfast Chain Store." Hua Zhen was established in 1978 as a traditional breakfast shop and later expanded into the food processing industry, becoming a famous gift brand in Pingtung. To allow loyal customers to enjoy a hot breakfast before work, the staff begins to cook soy milk and stretch soy skin at dawn. The freshly made Chinese snacks like sesame cakes, fried dough sticks, and buns are popular, especially the three treasures of Hua Zhen: "Health Soy Skin," "Malaysian Soft Cake," and "Shanghai Health Crispy Cake," which are particularly sought after and often sold out if you arrive late.

"Hua Zhen Foods" was founded by Xu Shun-Weng in 1978, starting as a breakfast shop and later actively expanding into the food industry.

The "Sesame Cake and Fried Dough Stick" (front, 52 NTD/full set) has a generous helping of fried dough stick sandwiched in the middle, making it the best choice to pair with "Sweet Sesame Cake" (front, 28 NTD/piece) while drinking soy milk. A must-try for food enthusiasts is the health soy skin, made with high-concentration soy milk, freshly fried and sold hot, spreading a rich bean aroma; the "Malaysian Soft Cake" has a unique texture that sits between a spring roll and a pancake, soft yet chewy. Adding fried dough stick enhances its crispiness. These delicious classics have been hot sellers for years, and starting your breakfast with a cup of freshly ground, freshly brewed rich soy milk energizes you for the day.

The "Health Soy Skin," recommended by food enthusiasts, is made from high-concentration soy milk and fried to order, which can be enjoyed with pickles. (60 NTD/serving)

The "Malaysian Soft Cake" has a texture similar to thick spring roll skin, soft yet a bit chewy. Stuffed with scallion egg and fried dough stick to enhance the flavor, it has been a popular seller for years. (45 NTD/piece)

After satisfying your hunger, you can head to the corner at the "Hua Zhen Gift Store" to browse, which also aids digestion. Most products in the store insist on using local small farmers' produce, such as cookies made from Donggang tuna and sakura shrimp; there are also Japanese red bean cakes and wedding cakes made with Donggang red beans.

The "Hua Zhen Gift Store" is located at the corner of the breakfast store, making it just right to choose gifts after having breakfast. Xu Zhe-Wei, the third generation of Hua Zhen Foods, mentioned that the most famous "Formosa Handmade Pancake" has a story of Taiwan-Japan friendship. Founder Xu Shun-Weng is from Kanding, graduated from food science, worked in a flour mill, and later sold sesame cakes and fried dough sticks at a roadside stall with his wife. He woke up in the middle of the night to knead dough and then went to work at 7 AM. He quit his job to focus on running the breakfast shop and, driven by a strong thirst for knowledge, traveled abroad to study and participated in various baking exhibitions, developing many snacks. His eagerness to learn even inspired the president of a Japanese pancake company, who taught him the secret recipe, and Xu Zhe-Wei praised his grandfather: "He is indeed a very energetic person; even at 80 years old, he's still up early without a trace.”

Hua Zhen insists on using locally produced materials from Taiwan, cooperating with farmers to ensure quality. The Japanese president not only imparted machines and techniques to Xu Shun-Weng but also sent people to Taiwan for teaching, using a baking design based on a century-old European kiln to produce the only handmade pancake in Taiwan with over 30% nut content. Whether it’s peanuts, sesame, or pumpkin seeds, each bite is rich and crunchy. The store also offers various Donggang exclusive packaged products, making a delicious and practical gift option.

The "Formosa Handmade Pancake," inheriting Japanese confectionery craftsmanship, comes in a variety of flavors, such as peanut, pumpkin, and sesame. They can be purchased individually or in boxes as gifts. (25 NTD/package)

The "9-piece Retro Lucky Money Bag Pancake" features a retro "Taiwan LV bag" as its packaging, which can be kept as a souvenir after consumption. (360 NTD/portion)

Among the procession for the Wang Ma Festival in Donggang, the most eye-catching is Wang Ma, and the "Wang Ma's Lucky Bag 8-piece pancake" specially features a chibi version of Wang Ma's design. (250 NTD/portion)

Hua Zhen Breakfast Chain Store address: No. 114, Zhongzheng Road, Donggang Township, Pingtung County

Phone: 08-832-6377

Opening hours: 05:00 AM - 10:00 AM, until 10:30 AM on Saturdays and Sundays

Card payment: Not available.

Hua Zhen Gift Store address: No. 70, Zhongshan Road, Donggang Township, Pingtung County

Phone: 08-832-6377

Opening hours: 09:00 AM - 09:30 PM

Card payment: Available.