Walking into the souvenir street beside Hualien Train Station, the signs of Zengi, Amei, Huiluan, and Yibisu line up one after another, their glass cases holding white, taro-purple, and matcha-green mochi balls printed with Hualien place-name motifs. Nine out of ten shopping bags in tourists' hands contain mochi — it has become nearly synonymous with Hualien souvenirs. From Zengi's origins peddling from a bicycle to the Amis traditional millet mochi called "durun," Hualien mochi has been around for half a century and remains the most convenient gift to bring home from Hualien.
What is Hualien Mochi
Hualien Mochi is a general term for the soft, glutinous mochi sweets produced by various Hualien brands. The mainstream recipe forms a dough from glutinous rice flour and starch, fills it with red bean, peanut, sesame, taro, or matcha, shapes it to roughly the size of a ping-pong ball, and coats the outside with a thin layer of rice flour to prevent sticking. Traditional flavors lean sweet and densely chewy; recent years have also brought mochi ice cream, mochi with douhua (tofu pudding), and reduced-sugar versions as spinoffs. The Amis traditional "durun" uses pounded millet for a stickier, more rustic texture, typically served with peanut powder or molasses — belonging to the indigenous food tradition.
Why did Hualien become synonymous with mochi? Zengi Mochi was founded in the 1960s, starting out peddling from a bicycle through the streets, making it one of the founding fathers of Hualien souvenirs; Amei Mochi focuses on a tourist-accessible reinterpretation of the Amis millet durun; Huiluanwan, Yibisu, and Yibisu Bakery each have their own following. Hualien Tourism Information Network lists mochi as the representative Hualien souvenir, and with multiple brands coexisting and all clustered near Hualien Train Station for convenient tourist access, mochi has locked in the fixed impression of "Hualien souvenir = mochi."
How to pick the authentic product
Local know-how
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- Zengi Mochi was founded in the 1960s, started by bicycle street-vending, and is the leading name in Hualien souvenirs.
- Amei Mochi foregrounds the Amis millet "durun" tradition, combining indigenous culture with modern souvenir packaging.
- Hualien Tourism Information Network explicitly lists mochi as Hualien's representative souvenir, with multiple brands including Huiluanwan and Yibisu coexisting.
Practical tips
- Mochi has a short shelf life (1–3 days at room temperature, about 7 days refrigerated) — eat it as soon as possible after getting home.
- The souvenir street across from Hualien Train Station carries a full range of brands; 30 minutes before your train is enough time to shop.
- Airports and high-speed rail stations may not carry Hualien mochi. If you want it as a souvenir, buy it in Hualien City before you leave.
Data compiled from Hualien County Government Tourism Department, local township farmers' associations, and large-scale public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with exclusive channel footage after Dio's on-site shoot.