Sweet Potato Dumplings are a Matsu confection with a wrapper of mashed sweet potato kneaded with sweet potato starch, filled with peanut sugar and sesame, and deep-fried until golden — nicknamed 'Golden Dumplings,' with Beigan's Banli and Qiaozi as the two most famous production areas. In an old stone house in Beigan's Banli Village, an auntie steams sweet potatoes until soft, mashes them into a golden dough, wraps portions of peanut-sugar filling inside, and fries each one until crisp; bite in and a caramel-like peanut syrup flows out — a treat Matsu people have eaten since childhood.
Beigan's Banli and Qiaozi are the two most famous production areas for Matsu Sweet Potato Dumplings, with representative shops including Banli Gucuo Golden Sweet Potato Dumplings and Qiaozi Grandma's Golden Dumplings. Because Matsu has limited farmland and sweet potatoes are drought-tolerant and easy to grow, they were once a vital staple crop; sweet potato dumplings represent the creative transformation of that staple into a dessert, prepared as either a crispy, runny-filled fried version or a soft, chewy boiled version.
What Are Sweet Potato Dumplings
Matsu Sweet Potato Dumplings use steamed and mashed sweet potato mixed with sweet potato starch to form the wrapper dough; the filling is peanut sugar powder and sesame (some versions also include red bean). They are shaped into dumplings and deep-fried until the skin is golden and crisp. The finished product has a crunchy, fragrant shell and a sweet filling; when bitten, the peanut sugar melts slightly from the heat, creating a runny-filling effect. Because of their full, golden appearance they are called "Golden Dumplings." A boiled version also exists, with a soft and chewy wrapper that carries the sweet potato's natural sweetness — a different kind of pleasure.
In Matsu's early years, sweet potato was a staple crop — on an island with limited arable land, sweet potatoes were drought-tolerant and reliably productive, making them critical for surviving food shortages. Sweet Potato Dumplings are the creative transformation of a staple into a dessert, carrying the culinary memory of island life. The Nangan Township Office's tourism information names Beigan's Qiaozi area as the traditional production area for Sweet Potato Dumplings; representative shops include Golden Sweet Potato Dumplings in Beigan's Banli stone house and Apo in Qiaozi — a Beigan dessert not to be missed.
How to Eat It Like a Local
Local Know-How
Verified Third-Party Endorsements (Sponsorship Filtered)
- The Nangan Township Office's tourism information names Beigan's Qiaozi area as the traditional production area for Sweet Potato Dumplings.
- The Golden Sweet Potato Dumpling shop in Beigan's Banli stone house is well known among tourists as a representative outlet, with the deep-fried version as its signature.
- Sweet Potato Dumplings carry the culinary memory of Matsu's early years, when sweet potato was the island's primary staple crop.
Visiting Tips
- The fried version is higher in calories and sugar; those managing diabetes or calorie intake should eat in moderation.
- Shops often sell out by mid-afternoon — arrive before noon.
- If you want to bring them back to the main island as a souvenir, choose the frozen-packaged version and consume promptly.
Data compiled from the Lienchiang County Tourism Bureau, Matsu Distillery, and a large volume of public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with the channel's exclusive footage after Dio's on-site shoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Sweet Potato Dumplings come fried or boiled?
Both — the fried version has a golden, crisp skin with a runny peanut filling, while the boiled version is soft and chewy with sweet potato sweetness.
Where are the most famous shops?
Banli Gucuo Golden Sweet Potato Dumplings in Beigan's Banli and Qiaozi Grandma's Golden Dumplings in Qiaozi are the two representative shops.
Can they be brought back to the main island as a souvenir?
Yes, but they absorb moisture easily — choose the frozen-packaged version and eat it promptly for the best flavor.
Sources
- 【北竿兩大黃金地瓜餃】橋仔阿婆黃金餃與坂里古厝黃金地瓜餃 — 北竿兩大代表店家與地瓜餃背景
- 百年古厝嘗地瓜餃！馬祖最Local小吃把花生芝麻、珠蔥包入餡 — 地瓜餃做法、餡料、炸煮兩種吃法