Dang-gan is a traditional cured pork liver product from Yilan, made by rubbing a whole fresh pork liver with salt, pressing out moisture under stone weights, marinating it in a soy-sauce seasoning brine, and sun-drying it for weeks or even over a month — one of the Lanyang Three Treasures alongside yaoshang (smoked duck) and preserved fruit. When older Yilan residents talk about New Year gifts, dang-gan is often the crown jewel: deep brown in color, firm in texture, sliced razor-thin until nearly translucent, savory and sweet in the same bite, and a time-honored pleasure with tea or spirits.
Dang-gan, along with yaoshang (smoked duck) and preserved fruit, forms the 'Lanyang Three Treasures,' representative traditional processed foods of Yilan. San Yuan Hang, a long-established shop, was founded in Yilan City in 1936 and now operates outlets in both Yilan City and Jiaoxi, with over eighty years of continuous business; the company's own website states that its dang-gan and yaoshang have been selected for use at state banquets.
What is Dang-gan?
Dang-gan is Yilan's traditional processed pork liver. A whole fresh liver is rubbed with salt and pressed under stone weights to expel moisture, then submerged in a soy-sauce seasoning brine, and finally sun-dried and air-cured for weeks or even over a month, allowing the liver to dehydrate and absorb flavor evenly throughout. The finished product is deep in color, with a texture somewhere between liver and cured meat. It is eaten cold in thin slices — savory up front, with a gentle sweet finish — and was historically a premium gift for banquets and the New Year holiday season.
The National Cultural Memory Bank documents the traditional dang-gan process (salt-rub, stone-press, soy-sauce brine, and weeks of sun-drying), and lists it as a traditional Yilan food, grouped with yaoshang, preserved fruits, and gaozha under the name Lanyang Four Treasures. San Yuan Hang in Jiaoxi has been producing dang-gan since 1936 and is one of the county's representative established producers. Yilan County Farmers' Association and related township associations have long listed dang-gan among local specialty souvenirs. It is a traditional craft that is on the verge of disappearing, kept alive by a small number of dedicated families.
How to eat it like a local
Local knowledge
Verified sources (sponsored content filtered out)
- The National Cultural Memory Bank records the Yilan dang-gan production process — a clear entry in an official government cultural data platform.
- Dang-gan, yaoshang, preserved fruits, and gaozha are collectively called the Lanyang Four Treasures and appear on Yilan County's official list of traditional food products.
- San Yuan Hang in Jiaoxi has been producing dang-gan since 1936, one of the county's representative established producers with nearly ninety years of craft continuity.
Visitor tips
- Dang-gan is extremely high in salt. Those with blood pressure or gout concerns should enjoy just a few slices rather than eating it in quantity.
- Authentic handcrafted dang-gan is produced in limited quantities and is priced accordingly. Versions that are unusually cheap or mass-produced may not follow the traditional method.
- Handcrafted dang-gan is mainly produced during the cool and dry winter months. What you find outside that season is typically refrigerated stock from a previous batch — pay attention to storage conditions.
Information compiled from the Yilan County Government's Bureau of Commerce and Tourism, local township farmers' associations, and large-scale public reviews. Sponsored listings have been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with channel-exclusive footage after Dio's on-site shoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What traditional food list does dang-gan belong to?
Dang-gan, together with yaoshang and preserved fruit, forms the 'Lanyang Three Treasures,' a set of representative traditional Yilan foods.
How is dang-gan traditionally made?
A whole fresh pork liver is rubbed with salt, pressed under stones to remove moisture, marinated in a soy-sauce brine, and sun-dried for weeks to over a month.
When was San Yuan Hang founded?
San Yuan Hang was founded in 1936 in Yilan City, and today operates outlets in both Yilan City and Jiaoxi.
Sources
- 品牌故事 | 礁溪三源行 — 三源行創立年份與門市資訊
- 三源行 — 三源行官網,膽肝與鴨賞獲選國宴用品之說明