Glutinous rice cake is a savory Chiayi dish of steamed sticky rice tossed with braised pork sauce and topped with dried fish floss. A bowl of glistening rice cake always comes with a side of light, sweet bonito broth — dry rice cake, hot soup, savory and clean in alternating bites, the coin-priced comfort food Chiayi people know by heart.
The well-known anchor shop A'an Glutinous Rice Cake was founded in 1976 as 'Old Zhang's Glutinous Rice Cake' on Wenhua Road; after passing through a second and third generation, it relocated to its current Minsheng North Road address in Chiayi in 2022, and after nearly 50 years still serves its signature rice cake with free bonito broth.
What Is Glutinous Rice Cake
Chiayi glutinous rice cake is steamed sticky rice mixed with braised pork sauce and seasonings — glossy, pleasantly chewy, and deeply savory, often topped with dried fish floss, braised pork, or sliced cucumber. Unlike sweet glutinous rice cake, this one runs savory. The portions are compact, and it is a common everyday staple found on Chiayi streets and in the night market.
Chiayi's savory glutinous rice cake has a signature pairing: a free bowl of bonito broth. The dry, savory rice cake is on the richer side, and the light, sweet bonito broth eaten alongside it creates a dry-and-wet, rich-and-clean balance that warms the stomach. This 'glutinous rice cake with bonito broth' combination is the defining local way to eat it in Chiayi, and it gives this coin-priced snack a small extra touch of thoughtfulness.
How to Eat It the Local Way
Local Knowledge
Verified Information (Sponsored Content Filtered Out)
- One of the local characteristics of Chiayi savory glutinous rice cake is that it is served alongside a free bowl of bonito broth.
- The anchor shop 'A'an Glutinous Rice Cake' was founded in 1976 and has been passed down through three generations — a well-established local institution.
- A'an originally operated as Old Zhang's Glutinous Rice Cake on Wenhua Road, relocated to Minsheng North Road in 2022 — the shop is the same lineage at a new address. It has been featured in the Economic Daily and United Daily News.
Visiting Tips
- A'an Glutinous Rice Cake's current address is in the West District on Minsheng North Road, near the Wenhua Road Night Market — different from its old location, so check the address before you go.
- It is a popular, budget-friendly snack spot — crowds are heavier during meal peaks, so arriving outside those windows improves your chances of getting a seat.
- Coordinates are approximate field-survey values. Verify the exact address and operating hours on-site.
Information compiled from Chiayi City Government tourism resources and public reviews, with sponsored content filtered out. Photos pending on-site photography.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Chiayi glutinous rice cake different from sweet rice cake?
Chiayi glutinous rice cake is savory, not sweet — steamed sticky rice tossed with braised pork and dried fish floss, typically served with a free bowl of bonito broth, unlike the sweet rice cakes common elsewhere in southern Taiwan.
When was A'an Glutinous Rice Cake founded?
A'an Glutinous Rice Cake was founded in 1976 as 'Old Zhang's Glutinous Rice Cake' and relocated to its current Minsheng North Road address in Chiayi in 2022, now run by the third generation of the family.
What is the authentic way to eat Chiayi rice cake?
The authentic way is to mix the braised pork, fish floss, and rice together first, then alternate bites with the free bonito broth, letting the savory and clean flavors play off each other.
Sources
- [嘉義西區]阿岸米糕- 阿彰的店。招牌鹹米糕/浮水土魠魚羹/滷肉飯/醋溜睫毛菜 — 聯合新聞網報導，確認2022年遷至民生北路現址、傳承至第三代
- 阿岸米糕：嘉義老字號美食，原文化路夜市老張鹹米糕 — 部落格食記直接確認「創立1976年的阿岸米糕」