Bowl cake is a rice batter made from ground indica rice, steamed in small bowls and topped with soy sauce paste, garlic paste, and cilantro. Temple Street is still empty in the early morning, but a few steps away, the old market stall has already opened. White bowl cakes are lined up on a tray; the vendor turns one out of its little cup, and the smell of rice rises with the steam. This traditional rice dish from the morning market is complete once soy sauce paste, garlic paste, and cilantro are added. A small number of old stalls in and around Temple Street and nearby traditional markets still carry bowl cake, a northern Taiwan breakfast item that is slowly disappearing — worth stopping for if you happen to find one.
Bowl cake (wan zai gue) is steamed from a batter made with aged indica rice, one of Taiwan's representative traditional rice foods. Both Wikipedia and the Ministry of Agriculture's rice culture promotion materials classify it among rice products processed from indica rice, alongside daikon radish cake and rice noodle pearls. This unseasoned steamed white rice cake is typically found at northern Taiwan's traditional morning markets and eaten with soy sauce paste, garlic paste, and cilantro.
What is Bowl Cake
Bowl cake is made by grinding rice into milk, mixing it with water, pouring it into small cups, and steaming until set. The result is white and semi-transparent, with a smooth, silky texture and a faint rice fragrance — no seasoning of its own. It is eaten with three toppings: soy sauce paste (for saltiness), garlic paste (for pungency), and cilantro (for herbal aroma). The mild rice base relies on these toppings for its layered flavor. Some stalls add a little salted water or a small amount of tapioca starch to stabilize the structure. In texture, bowl cake falls between flat rice noodles and rice noodle pearls — smoother than rice noodle sheets, with more of a rice flavor than pudding.
Bowl cake is a traditional northern Taiwan morning market rice dish; similar items exist in Tainan and Chiayi but with different topping customs. Around Keelung Temple Street and in the surrounding traditional markets, bowl cake is available only in the early morning to late morning hours — most stalls have finished serving by the afternoon. The Council of Agriculture's rice food promotion materials list bowl cake as one of Taiwan's traditional rice foods. As breakfast habits have shifted toward Western options, the number of stalls serving bowl cake has declined across Taiwan. A small number of old stalls around Keelung Temple Street continue to carry this item.
How to eat like a local
Local knowledge
Objective credentials
- The Council of Agriculture's rice food promotion materials list bowl cake as one of Taiwan's traditional rice foods, officially recorded in food culture documentation.
- Bowl cake is a traditional northern Taiwan morning market rice food; a small number of old stalls in traditional markets around Keelung Temple Street still carry it, representing a surviving trace of local food culture.
Visitor tips
- Bowl cake is available primarily in the early morning through late morning — visiting in the afternoon usually means it's already sold out or the stall has closed.
- Traditional markets near Temple Street (such as the area around Renai Market) are more reliable spots for finding bowl cake than the Temple Street night market itself.
- The number of stalls still serving bowl cake is limited and cannot be guaranteed on every visit. Plan it as part of a morning market itinerary rather than making a dedicated trip just for this.
Sources: Council of Agriculture rice food promotion materials; Keelung traditional market local food culture records. Photos pending Dio's on-site shoot for exclusive channel footage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What rice is bowl cake made from?
It's steamed from a batter made with aged indica rice — aged rice gives a springier texture than new rice.
What toppings does bowl cake come with?
The traditional trio is soy sauce paste for saltiness, garlic paste for pungency, and cilantro for herbal aroma — all three together complete the flavor.
Is bowl cake the same as regular wan-gue (rice cake)?
Broadly they belong to the same rice-cake family; bowl cake usually refers to the small, unfilled, plain-steamed version.
Where can I find it in Keelung?
A small number of old stalls in traditional markets around Temple Street and Renai Market still carry it, mostly in the early morning to late morning.