Pong bing is a traditional pastry unique to southern Taiwan, its outer shell baked until it puffs up thin and brittle, hollow inside with a coating of brown sugar syrup on the inner walls — hence its alternate name, xiang bing (fragrant cake). One light tap and it cracks open, releasing an unpretentious, old-style aroma; it has deep ties to Tainan's postpartum recovery culture, where new mothers once knocked a hole in the top, cracked in an egg, and pan-fried it with sesame oil — today it sits quietly as a specialty in old confectionery shop windows.
The anchor shop Jiu Lai Fa Pastry states on its official website that it was founded in 1875 (during the Qing Guangxu era) under the original name Shengchun Sugar Shop. The site lists five generations of succession — from founder Ho Shih-chuan through to the fifth generation, Ho Yu-han — with the shop currently run by fourth-generation Ho Hsi-ming while the fifth generation learns the craft, making it one of the few surviving century-old Tainan bakeries known for pong bing (brown sugar xiang bing).
What is Pong Bing
Pong bing is a traditional pastry unique to southern Taiwan: the outer shell is baked until it puffs up thin and brittle, hollow inside, with a coating of brown sugar syrup on the inner walls — also called xiang bing (fragrant cake). Its defining character is that emptiness and crispness: light, not overly sweet, eaten plain as a tea snack or enjoyed in a more inventive way, it is one of the old-style items that Tainan's veteran confectionery shops have preserved through the generations.
Pong bing has a deep connection with Tainan's postpartum culture: in earlier generations, a new mother recovering after childbirth would knock a hole in the top, crack an egg inside, drizzle sesame oil over it, and fry it into a pan-fried pong bing egg as a nourishing snack. This layer of local everyday life gives pong bing a significance beyond being just a sweet — it carries the family memories of generation after generation in Fucheng, and has become its defining identity.
How to eat it properly
Local knowledge
Verified endorsements (sponsored content filtered out)
- The anchor shop Jiu Lai Fa Pastry (舊來發餅舖) states on its official website that it was founded in 1875 and is now in its sixth generation; the brown sugar pong bing (also called xiang bing) is its best-selling specialty.
- Pong bing is listed on the Tainan City Government's official tourism website — an unpaid public recommendation, not a sponsored listing.
- This guide is organized by dish. The anchor shops listed here are for reference and future on-site photography only — they are not confectionery rankings.
Practical tips
- Jiu Lai Fa Pastry is located on Ziqiang Street in Beique, directly across from Kaiji Tianhou Temple — a lane-and-alley location that is hard to reach by car; walking is recommended.
- Pong bing breaks easily. If you're buying as a gift or carrying it a long distance, ask the shop about packaging options to avoid damage in transit.
- Coordinates are approximate survey values; verify exact addresses and operating hours on location.
Information compiled from the Michelin Guide, the Tainan City Government Tourism website, and public reviews, with sponsored content filtered out. Photos will be replaced after on-site shooting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is pong bing also called xiang bing (fragrant cake)?
Because its hollow shell has a coating of brown sugar syrup on the inner wall, releasing a rich sugary aroma when cracked open or dissolved, which is why locals also call it xiang bing.
What is the most traditional way to eat pong bing?
The oldest method is to knock a hole in the top, crack in an egg, and pan-fry it with sesame oil — a dish once served as a nourishing snack for new mothers recovering after childbirth in Tainan.
Where in Tainan can you find a century-old pong bing shop?
Jiu Lai Fa Pastry, on Ziqiang Street in North District across from Kaiji Tianhou Temple, states on its official website that it was founded in 1875, making it one of the few traditional pong bing shops still operating in Fucheng.
Sources
- 舊來發餅舖 - 品牌故事 — 官網載明1875年創立與五代傳承世系