Kinmen Travel

Guangdong Congee (廣東粥 = Guǎngdōng zhōu)

Think thick rice soup with a variety of fresh ingredients on top: a bit of meat, some vegetables, green onions, and often liver. If you're not a fan of liver, you can ask for it to be not included. It's a breakfast dish in Kinmen, but some shops serve it all day. The shop sign out front will have the Chinese characters above.

Rock Oysters

The oysters harvested in Kinmen are rock oysters, which are relatively small. Locals eat them raw, or in a seaweed soup (紫菜石蚵湯 = Zǐcài shí hé tāng). Other popular ways to have them are in an omelet, ordered by its Taiwanese name, Oh-AH-jian (蚵仔煎), or with noodles (Oh-A-Mi Suan = 蚵仔麵線).

Beef Noodles (牛肉麵 = Niúròu miàn)

Beef noodles is one of Taiwan's signature dishes. They're special in Kinmen because the beef comes from locally grown cattle fed on the grains leftover from the production of kaoliang liquor. The beef ends up being especially tender and juicy.

Potstickers (鍋貼 = Guōtiē)

Potstickers are fried dumplings, usually filled with pork and/or vegetables. Kinmen-style potstickers are basted with eggs, so they're perfectly crispy at the bottom. They go really well with hot and sour soup.

Kinmen Banquet Soup (宴菜 = Yàn cài)

Banquet food of course features many different dishes. One special Kinmen one that some restaurants have on their menu is a hearty soup. Pork bones are simmered to make a tasty broth. A variety of fresh ingredients is added, including locally grown cabbage, shredded mushrooms, and pork.

Shāobǐng (燒餅)

This light flaky pastry comes in 2 versions, savory and sweet. The savory one has a minced pork and green onion filling. Shāobǐng aren't unique to Kinmen, but they're different from the ones in Taiwan and Mainland China…

Yóutiáo (油條)

Unlike the crispy Taiwanese yóutiáo, the Kinmen version is softer and chewier. It tastes a bit like an unsweetened donut. Usually eaten at breakfast, yóutiáo go well with a bowl of Guangdong congee.

Fried Instant Noodles (炒泡麵 = Chǎo pào miàn)

Noodles steeped in military history! Cooked instant noodles are drained and stir-fried with shredded vegetables, meat and eggs. This was popular amongst the soldiers who served in Kinmen during the military period. Most of the soldiers are gone, but the special noodles remain!

Kaoliang-Hardboiled Egg (酒釀蛋 = Jiǔniàng dàn)

Eggs are slowly cooked with ingredients featuring kaoliang liquor, resulting in the eggshell turning brown, and of course the egg acquiring a special flavor!

Taro Shaved Ice (芋頭冰 = Yùtou Bīng)

Little Kinmen has many taro fields, and one of its special taro products is ice cream. It's served with a variety of sweet toppings on a bed of shaved ice. As beautiful to look at as it is to eat… And so good, it's available year-round on Little Kinmen.