Daxi Dried Tofu, Taoyuan

Daxi dried tofu is a black-braised soy product from Daxi District, Taoyuan, slow-cooked in soy sauce, sugar, and spices until the exterior turns glossy black and the interior light brown, with a firm, springy bite. Its best-known maker, Huang Rih Shiang, was founded in 1924 and is now run by its fourth generation; the Daxi Wood Art Ecomuseum, run by the Taoyuan City Government, operates an official 'Huang Rih Shiang Story Hall' documenting the family's century-long history, and the late President Chiang Ching-kuo reportedly visited the shop eight times in his later years, a story still told locally today.

Huang Rih Shiang was founded in 1924 by Huang Wu (also known as Huang Da-mu), who had learned the technique for making black dried tofu; the shop is now run by its fourth generation. The Daxi Wood Art Ecomuseum, operated by the Taoyuan City Government on Heping Road in Daxi, maintains an official 'Huang Rih Shiang Story Hall' documenting the Huang family's century of history and business divisions. According to a report by United Daily News's history desk, third-generation owner Huang Wen-yen was a personal friend of the late President Chiang Ching-kuo, who reportedly visited the shop eight times in his later years and praised its black dried tofu, further boosting the brand's reputation. Note: as verified, Taoyuan City is not currently among the cities evaluated by the MICHELIN Guide Taiwan (which as of 2026 covers only Taipei, New Taipei, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung), so no Daxi dried tofu shop appears on any Bib Gourmand list.

What is Daxi Dried Tofu

Daxi Dried Tofu refers to a style of black dried tofu made in Daxi, Taoyuan, slow-braised for an extended period in soy sauce, sugar, and aromatics. The exterior is glossy and dark; the interior a light brown. Each piece has a firm, springy bite with a full soybean-and-soy-sauce flavor. The traditional way to eat it is freshly sliced on a cold plate, drizzled with garlic soy sauce and scallions. The deeply seasoned bite-sized "black gold" cubes are also a popular souvenir. Production hinges on soybean quality, a well-aged braising broth, and precise heat control — each old shop guards its own recipe passed down through generations.

Why Daxi? The answer lies in the water quality of the Dahan River and a century of industry clusters. During the Japanese colonial period, Daxi was a hub for timber and camphor in northern Taiwan; the thriving commerce drove demand for bean products. The soft upstream water of the Dahan River also suited tofu-making, and old shops like Huang Rih Shiang (1924), Huang Da Mu, and Liao Xinlan all took root here. The Daxi Wood Art Ecomuseum houses a "Huang Rih Shiang Story Hall" documenting a century of family splits and reunions. President Chiang Ching-kuo used to stroll through Daxi in his later years and enjoy the black dried tofu, cementing this flavor in the public memory.

How to Eat It the Local Way

Local Knowledge

Information compiled from Michelin Guide, Taoyuan City Government Tourism Bureau, and large-scale public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with channel-exclusive material after Dio's on-site shoot.