Taiwan Food Atlas

Fenglin Peeled Chili

One of the Hakka village's three treasures — salty-sweet, mildly spicy, perfect with rice or in stew
📍 Hualien · Fenglin🏆 Iconic · Local Produce🌶️ Signature Hakka Souvenir

Fenglin peeled chili is a traditional pickled chili product from the Hakka villages of Hualien's Rift Valley, made by deep-frying green chilies until the skin blisters, peeling them while hot, and marinating them in a soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine seasoning blend. Driving south from Hualien City into the Rift Valley, Fenglin Township is the first Hakka village you reach, its arcade storefronts lined with amber glass jars holding whole peeled red and green chilies — a dish passed down in Fenglin Hakka households from grandmother to grandchild, and one of the most famous souvenirs from the East Rift Valley.

Jinpin Sauce Garden in Fenglin was founded in 1993 by Chen Chiu-chin and his wife, who developed Taiwan's only chili-peeling machine of its kind; their 'Original Peeled Chili' is widely regarded as Taiwan's first commercially produced peeled chili product, now with more than 30 years of history. The Fengrong District Farmers' Association has long supported local chili farmers and processing brands, and Fenglin is home to multiple family workshops — a product category with several coexisting producers rather than a single dominant brand.

What is Peeled Chili

The process sounds simple but is labor-intensive: green chilies are deep-fried until the skin blisters, then peeled one by one while still hot, and soaked in a seasoning blend of soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine. The result is salty-sweet with tamed heat — eaten on their own with rice, chopped and tossed with noodles, braised in chicken soup, or simmered in pork rib soup, all common home uses. Bottled, they keep at room temperature for months, making them one of the few Hualien–Taitung souvenirs that both last and are versatile.

Why is Fenglin the origin? The official materials of the East Rift Valley National Scenic Area explicitly list peeled chili as one of the "Three Treasures of Fenglin" (the other two being peanuts and garlic chives), and Fenglin is widely recognized across Taiwan as the originating township. With ample sunshine in the Fenglin Hakka region producing high-quality chilies, Hakka home cooks developed this skin-removed, brine-preserved technique to extend shelf life. The Fengrong District Farmers' Association, Jinpin Sauce Garden, and other brands have produced it for years, and small family workshops in town each have their own recipe — a culinary cluster with no single dominant producer. In Taiwanese Hokkien the product is called Pak-phê hiam-tsio, a name still used on hand-labeled jars sold directly from Fenglin farming households.

How to pick the authentic product

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Judge by colorAuthentic peeled chilies are deep green or dark olive in color — not bright green. Overly vivid green often signals added coloring or insufficient soaking time.
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Check the brineGood bottled brine is clear and not cloudy; the chilies should sink, not float with sediment — a sign that the frying and peeling process was done properly.
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Use them in stewDrop a whole chili into chicken or pork rib soup and simmer for 30 minutes: the spice transforms to sweetness and adds depth instantly — a classic Hakka mom's soup trick.
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Chop and serve over riceCut into short pieces and toss with lard and steamed rice for a simple meal, or stir into scrambled eggs or noodles — savory, sweet, and appetite-opening without heat that lingers.

Local know-how

Verified endorsements (ad-free)

  • The East Rift Valley National Scenic Area officially lists peeled chili as one of the "Three Treasures of Fenglin" and recognizes Fenglin as its origin across Taiwan.
  • The Fengrong District Farmers' Association has long supported Fenglin chili farmers and processing brands; the association's own-brand products are considered highly reliable.
  • Jinpin Sauce Garden and other Fenglin-based sauce houses have been producing peeled chili for decades, with over 1,000 Google reviews and wide distribution through souvenir channels.

Practical tips

  • Heat levels vary significantly between family workshops. If you're spice-sensitive, buy a small jar first to taste before stocking up.
  • Once opened, refrigerate and consume within one month for best texture — sitting too long causes the chilies to release water and turn soft.
  • Many small handcraft workshops in Fenglin don't have storefronts. Start your shopping at the farmers' association or the cluster of vendors near the main intersection on Gongjheng Road.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who first made Fenglin peeled chili?

According to Jinpin Sauce Garden, founders Chen Chiu-chin and his wife developed the recipe in 1993, launching what is regarded as Taiwan's first commercially produced peeled chili product.

How is peeled chili traditionally made?

Green chilies are deep-fried until the skin blisters, peeled while still hot, and marinated in a seasoning blend of soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine.

Is there only one brand making peeled chili in Fenglin?

No — the Fengrong District Farmers' Association and multiple family workshops have long coexisted, making it a product category rather than a single dominant brand.

Sources

🗺️ View on the map ← All Hualien dishes