Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation's Puli Brewery uses Puli's high-quality water to brew Shaoxing wine; the wine lees left over after fermentation are put to use rather than discarded, developed into a range of food products including pastries, mochi, and ice cream. When wine lees are baked into pastry, the rice wine fragrance is subtle and non-harsh, and the sweetness is more restrained than ordinary flaky pastries — an item that pleasantly surprises travelers who don't typically enjoy overly sweet things. Sampling freshly made goods at the tourist brewery is where you feel the fresh wine aroma at its best.
What Are Shaoxing Wine Lees Pastries
Shaoxing wine lees are the solid residue left after glutinous rice mash fermentation, containing trace amounts of alcohol and rich in amino acids and ester aromatic compounds. Puli Brewery incorporates food-grade wine lees into the pastry dough; during baking the alcohol evaporates, leaving only the fragrance. The finished product has a crisp outer crust; the filling varies by style — jujube paste, red bean, or plain sugar — with overall low sweetness and a faint lingering rice wine note. The mochi version has a soft, sticky texture with a more pronounced wine aroma; the ice cream version is a summer seasonal offering.
The Puli Tourist Brewery has a souvenir hall serving as the main sales point for wine lees food products, with a tasting area inside. The brewery itself has a history of over one hundred years; the Shaoxing wine brewing technique traces its origins to craftsmen who immigrated from Zhejiang province, and Puli's soft water quality is considered a key factor in the brewing's success. Pastry shops in the surrounding area also produce their own versions using wine lees from the brewery, with slightly different recipes available for comparison.
How to Enjoy Like a Local
Local Knowledge
Verified Sources
- Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation Puli Tourist Brewery official website provides a full account of the development history of wine lees processed food products — the only official source of information.
- Nantou County Government tourism website's Puli Township specialty page lists brewery souvenirs as one of the township's representative souvenir items.
Visitor Tips
- The ice cream version is summer only and often sells out by afternoon; if this is your primary goal, plan to arrive in the morning and confirm it is available that day.
- The wine lees content in old-street pastry shop versions differs from the brewery's own version, resulting in slightly different flavors — comparing both is worthwhile, but don't confuse them as the same product.
- Wine lees pastries contain trace amounts of alcohol (almost entirely evaporated during baking); those with extreme alcohol sensitivity may wish to ask staff to confirm.
Sources: Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation Puli Tourist Brewery Official Website, Nantou County Government Tourism Website Puli Township Specialty Page. Photos pending Dio's on-site photography.