In front of the earth god temple in Zhutian Township, Pingtung, a Hakka grandmother lifts a wide, white ban-tiau from a bamboo basket and drops it into a boiling pot for a few seconds before lifting it out, ladling on broth simmered with dried shrimp and braised pork — or tossing it straight into a hot iron wok until the wok aroma rises high. This is everyday life in the Liudui Hakka communities: Hakka people of Neipu, Zhutian, and Wanluan eat ban-tiau from breakfast to late-night snacks. A bowl paired with savory glutinous rice balls and xia-gong-ban (shrimp rice cakes) is a flavor they have eaten all their lives.
What is Liudui Hakka Ban-tiau
Ban-tiau (Hakka: Pán-tiâu) is a Hakka rice food made by grinding non-glutinous rice into a slurry, steaming it into a thin sheet, and cutting it into strips about 1.5 cm wide. The texture is soft with a springy bite and a clear rice fragrance. It is prepared two ways: soup ban-tiau uses a pork bone broth with garlic chives, bean sprouts, and dried shrimp braised pork; stir-fried ban-tiau is tossed over high heat with dried shrimp, shredded pork, garlic chives, and bean sprouts until fragrant and slightly charred at the edges. Common accompaniments include savory glutinous rice balls (with a savory filling, unlike the sweet kind), xia-gong-ban (Hakka rice cakes with shrimp), Hakka stir-fry, and ginger-stir-fried intestine.
Why Liudui? The 'Liudui' area straddling Pingtung and Kaohsiung is one of Taiwan's earliest Hakka communities, with Neipu, Zhutian, and Wanluan at its core — the most complete region for ban-tiau culture. In 2019, Zhutian Township was selected by the Tourism Bureau, MOTC as one of 'Taiwan's Ten Hakka Villages,' the only selection from Pingtung County, with ban-tiau as its culinary signature. Zhutian Bogong Noodle Shop and multiple old establishments in Neipu each excel at either the broth or the stir-fried version, forming a cluster category. Flavors vary slightly but all uphold the Hakka standard of freshly cut ban-tiau and freshly simmered broth.
How to eat it like a local
Local knowledge
Verified endorsements (sponsored content filtered out)
- Liudui is one of Taiwan's earliest Hakka communities; Neipu, Zhutian, and Wanluan form the core of ban-tiau culture.
- Zhutian Township was selected in 2019 by the Tourism Bureau, MOTC as one of 'Taiwan's Ten Hakka Villages' — the only selection from Pingtung County.
- The Pingtung County Government Hakka Affairs Council has long promoted Liudui Hakka cuisine, with ban-tiau as the flagship representative.
Visitor tips
- Hakka old shops are typically busiest before midday; on weekends, arriving before noon is recommended for better seating.
- Ban-tiau softens quickly; takeaway is not ideal. If taking it to go, keep the soup and noodles in separate containers.
- Liudui covers a wide area; Neipu, Zhutian, and Wanluan each have different shops with different flavors — don't judge the category by visiting only one.
Information compiled from the Pingtung County Government Tourism Bureau, Zhutian Township Office, Pingtung County Government Hakka Affairs Council, and large volumes of public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with exclusive channel footage after Dio's on-site shoot.