Maqaw sausage is a Tayal-style pork sausage sold in the Jiaobanshan commercial area of Fuxing District, Taoyuan, made by mixing ground pork with maqaw (mountain pepper) berries and grilling it fresh at roadside stalls. The Fuxing District Office's official social media page lists it as a must-try indigenous specialty of the area, and its citrus-and-ginger aroma with a mild tingling bite makes it one of the most accessible ways to taste Tayal spice culture.
Maqaw's scientific name is Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Persoon, a shrub in the laurel family with a flavor described as a blend of pepper and ginger; in Tayal, it is called maqaw and is traditionally used to cut gaminess, cure meat, stir-fry small dried fish, or season soups. The Fuxing District Office's official social media page lists maqaw sausage as one of the representative Tayal specialties of the Jiaobanshan commercial area.
What is maqaw sausage
Maqaw sausage uses ground pork as the base, mixed with whole or lightly crushed maqaw berries, sometimes seasoned with a small amount of minced ginger, garlic, and rice wine, then stuffed into natural casings and grilled over charcoal or an electric grill. The finished skin is slightly charred, and the smoky aroma from fat dripping onto the charcoal layers with the citrusy freshness of maqaw, creating a complex and pleasant aroma profile. Biting through reveals the berries, which deliver a mild numbing fragrance — entirely different from the sweet-salty flavor of standard Taiwanese sausage.
Maqaw plays an important role in the traditional Atayal diet, used not only in sausage but also in curing wild boar meat and seasoning soups and other dishes. The Jiaobanshan commercial area concentrates multiple indigenous food stalls from Fuxing District. Because maqaw sausage is easy to carry and eat on the spot, it has become the most accessible entry point into Atayal ingredients for visitors. Field investigations by multiple blogs — including WalkerLand and Xiaohu Shimen Wang — confirm it is a widely available item in the commercial area.
How to eat it authentically
Local knowledge
Verified sources
- Maqaw (Litsea cubeba / mountain pepper) as a traditional Atayal spice is well documented; the indigenous name "Maqaw" is an important part of the community's spice knowledge.
- Multiple independent outlets — WalkerLand, Xiaohu Shimen Wang, and Ai Chi Gui Yunyun — conducted field investigations and confirmed maqaw sausage as a representative item in the Jiaobanshan commercial area.
- The Jiaobanshan commercial area is in Taoyuan's Fuxing District and is the tourism center of Atayal communities along Provincial Highway 7 North Cross Highway. The stalls genuinely exist and continue to operate.
Visitor tips
- Stalls in the Jiaobanshan commercial area are mostly small family-run operations with no fixed day off. The rate of stalls being open is far higher during weekend peak seasons than on weekday off-season days.
- Each stall's maqaw sausage recipe differs slightly; the amount of maqaw used affects the intensity of the aroma. Asking before you buy lets you choose the stall that matches your preference.
- Some stalls also sell bamboo tube rice and millet wine at the same time, so you can purchase multiple items in one stop and reduce the need to move back and forth through the commercial area.
Sources: WalkerLand, Xiaohu Shimen Wang, Ai Chi Gui Yunyun field investigation reports; Maqaw (Maqaw / mountain pepper) Atayal spice documentation. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own photography.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is maqaw?
Maqaw is the Tayal name for the berries of mountain pepper (Litsea cubeba), a native Taiwanese spice with a flavor blending pepper and ginger.
How should maqaw sausage be eaten authentically?
It should be eaten fresh off the grill, since the aroma fades quickly once it cools and the flavor drops noticeably.
Where can you find maqaw sausage?
The Jiaobanshan commercial area in Fuxing District, Taoyuan, is where it is most concentrated, sold fresh-grilled at several indigenous food stalls.
Sources
- 山胡椒－原住民族農產業主題館 — 農業部官方資料，確認馬告學名Litsea cubeba與傳統用途
- 桃園市復興區公所官方粉絲專頁－角板山商圈必吃懶人包 — 官方社群貼文，將馬告香腸列為角板山商圈代表美食