Taiwan Food Atlas

Fried Shuangaorun (Glutinous Rice Cake)

A uniquely Penghu heritage pastry — an increasingly rare sweet fried treasure from traditional markets
📍 Penghu · Magong Zhongyang Street🗂️ Collector's Pick · Snacks🔖 Two-layer glutinous rice cake / Peanut filling / Traditional market exclusive

Fried shuangaorun is a heritage pastry unique to Penghu. A two-layer cake body — one red, one white — is made from glutinous rice flour and sweet potato starch, filled with peanuts or red bean paste, coated in egg wash, and deep-fried until the exterior is golden and crispy. It is increasingly rare in the market, appearing only occasionally at Magong's traditional markets or in a handful of old-school pastry shops. It is the kind of Penghu-exclusive treat worth buying the moment you see it.

What is fried shuangaorun

The name shuangaorun refers to the two-layer (red and white) cake exterior, while "run" describes the smooth, yielding texture of the glutinous rice body. To make it, a glutinous rice cake tinted red with red yeast rice or brown sugar is layered together with a plain white glutinous rice cake, peanut sugar powder or red bean paste is pressed between the layers, the block is cut into slices, coated in egg wash, and deep-fried until the surface is golden and crispy. The exterior is fragrant and crunchy while the interior is soft and springy — sweet but not cloying, and light-feeling when the oil level is well managed.

Fried shuangaorun is explicitly documented in the Penghu County Traditional Food Records, and the Penghu County Government Culture Bureau has listed it as a traditional craft food for promotion, recognizing it as part of Penghu's food and cultural heritage. As food industrialization and consumer habits have changed, the number of vendors making fresh fried shuangaorun has dropped sharply. It is mostly found at early-morning traditional market stalls, and some pastry shops on Zhongyang Old Street still make it on an irregular basis. The consensus among food lovers is: buy it when you see it.

How to eat it the local way

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Check the color to identify the real thingAuthentic shuangaorun has a red-and-white layered cross-section. A single-color version is not the traditional form. The red layer is tinted with red yeast rice or brown sugar, giving it a naturally muted, darker hue.
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Freshly fried is bestThe skin is at its crispiest within 5 minutes of frying. Once it cools, the glutinous rice absorbs the oil from the egg coating and the crunch fades. Eating it hot is a non-negotiable rule.
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Look at the early-morning traditional marketFreshly made fried shuangaorun mostly appears at morning market stalls in Magong's traditional market. Opening hours are roughly 6–11 a.m.; it is nearly impossible to find in the afternoon.
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Peanut filling is more traditional than red beanPeanut sugar powder filling is the most traditional Penghu flavor; red bean paste is a later variation. For a first-time visitor, the peanut version is recommended to experience the original taste.

Local knowledge

Verified credentials

  • The Penghu County Traditional Food Records explicitly document fried shuangaorun as a traditional Penghu pastry with a verifiable recipe history.
  • The Penghu County Government Culture Bureau has listed fried shuangaorun as a traditional craft food for promotion, recognizing it as part of Penghu's food and cultural heritage.
  • Morning stalls at Magong traditional market are currently the most reliable place to buy it, with fixed vendors supplying it on an irregular basis.

Visitor tips

  • Supply is very limited and the number of vendors making it continues to shrink. There is no guarantee of finding it on any given trip, so treat it as a bonus item to buy on the spot if you happen to encounter it.
  • Glutinous rice products are filling — one piece is already a substantial portion. Avoid buying too many at once.
  • Those with peanut allergies must confirm the filling before purchasing. The peanut version is the most common option; actively ask whether a red bean version is available.

Sources: Penghu County Traditional Food Records, Penghu County Government Culture Bureau traditional food promotion materials, on-site information at Magong traditional market. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own shots.

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