On Magong's Ren'ai Road stands a small shop with a worn facade and no prominent signage — yet it is the oldest surviving confectionery in all of Taiwan. Shengxing Bakery was founded in 1864, predating the Japanese colonial era. Its salty biscuits are round, puffed, and golden-skinned with flecks of scallion, crumbly on the outside and tender within — salty with a whisper of sweetness. Penghu Salty Biscuits are nothing like the ornate sweetness of mung bean mooncakes from the main island, yet for a century they have been Penghu's go-to for weddings, festivals, and gift-giving.
What is Penghu Salty Biscuit
Penghu Salty Biscuit is a small round pastry about 6–8 cm in diameter and 2 cm thick, made from flour, lard, sugar, salt, fried scallion, and pepper. The skin is golden and lightly crisp; the interior is soft and fragrant with scallion-lard aroma. The flavor is savory-sweet — salty with a hint of sweetness and a gentle pepper spice. Unlike the sweet pastry tradition of Taiwan's main island, Penghu Salty Biscuits occupy a savory-sweet middle ground: relatively dry and ideal for pairing with tea, with a long shelf life. In earlier times, they were dry rations carried aboard by sailors and fishermen heading out to sea.
Shengxing Bakery on Ren'ai Road in Magong was founded in the 3rd year of the Qing Tongzhi reign (1864), and has been reported by Business Weekly as the longest-operating confectionery in Taiwan. It is now run by the fifth generation of the family, who insist on keeping the product out of convenience stores and e-commerce, selling only handmade biscuits at the original location. Another shop, Quanli Biscuit, was founded in 1896 (early Japanese colonial era) and has won baking gold medals; it stands alongside Shengxing as one of Penghu's two salty biscuit institutions. Salty biscuits, brown sugar cake, and peanut brittle are Penghu's Three Major Souvenirs and flagship products promoted by the county tourism bureau.
How to eat it like a local
Local knowledge
Objective notes (sponsor-free)
- Shengxing Bakery was founded in 1864; Business Weekly has reported it as Taiwan's longest-operating confectionery, and it insists on staying out of convenience stores.
- Quanli Biscuit was founded in 1896 (early Japanese colonial era), has won baking gold medals, and stands alongside Shengxing as one of Penghu's two salty biscuit institutions.
- Together with brown sugar cake and peanut brittle, salty biscuits are Penghu's Three Major Souvenirs and a flagship product promoted by the county tourism bureau.
Visitor tips
- Shengxing's original location is on Ren'ai Road in Magong; the shop front is weathered and easy to miss — look carefully for the house number.
- Salty biscuits keep for about 2–3 weeks at room temperature — longer than brown sugar cake — so it's fine to buy them on your first day.
- Shengxing insists on handmade production with limited output; during peak season, the biscuits often sell out in the afternoon — go in the morning.
Information compiled from the Penghu County Government Tourism Bureau, township farmers' and fishermen's associations, and large volumes 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.