Yilan Bing is a signature ultra-thin milk ox-tongue cookie from Yilan, created by Liu Deng-hui, founder of the Su'ao-based Yilan Bing brand, who replaced traditional lard and sugar with butter and trehalose and hand-rolled the dough to a thickness of just 0.1 cm, officially naming it Yilan Bing in 2001. Unwrap a piece and it is nearly translucent, snapping in two at the lightest touch; the moment it enters your mouth a fresh milk aroma blooms, with a sweetness far lighter than expected — a world apart from the thick, chewy ox-tongue cookies most people picture.
According to a feature in the Lanyang Museum's e-newsletter, Yilan Bing founder Liu Deng-hui broke from traditional methods by replacing lard and sugar with butter and trehalose, hand-rolling the dough into an ultra-thin 0.1 cm milk ox-tongue cookie, and officially launched it under the name 'Yilan Bing' in 2001. In 2009, the 'Yilan Bing Invention Museum,' covering roughly 4,000 ping (about 13,200 square meters) in Su'ao, was established to showcase the history of the craft.
What is Yilan Bing?
Yilan Bing is an oval, ox-tongue-shaped thin cookie made from flour, butter, fresh milk, sugar, and other simple ingredients, repeatedly rolled thin and baked until set. Its defining characteristic is its thinness — the standard version measures about 0.1 cm thick. The cookie is crispy and not overly sweet, the kind you can eat one after another without feeling heavy. Beyond the original flavor, it has expanded into many flavors and packaging formats, making it one of the most accessible signature souvenirs from Yilan.
A feature article in the Lanbo e-newsletter documents that Liu Deng-hui, founder of the 'Yilan Bing' brand in Su'ao, developed the 0.1 cm ultra-thin fresh milk ox-tongue cookie and officially launched it under the name 'Yilan Bing' in 2001 — creating a distinct school from the thick Lukang ox-tongue cookie. Several local Yilan bakeries — including Yi Shun Xuan and Lao Yuan Xiang — subsequently introduced their own versions. Rather than a single brand monopoly, Yilan Bing is now a product category with multiple representative brands operating in parallel across the county.
How to eat it like a local
Local knowledge
Verified sources (sponsored content filtered out)
- A Lanbo e-newsletter feature documents that Liu Deng-hui developed the 0.1 cm ultra-thin ox-tongue cookie and launched it under the Yilan Bing name in 2001.
- Yilan Bing and the Lukang thick ox-tongue cookie represent two distinct schools — together they illustrate Taiwan's ox-tongue cookie tradition developing along two separate lines.
- Multiple representative brands (Yilan Bing, Yi Shun Xuan, Lao Yuan Xiang, and others) operate in parallel within the county, making this a product category rather than a single-brand story.
Visitor tips
- Yilan Bing is vulnerable to moisture. Once opened, eat it promptly; it goes soft and loses its crispiness if left out.
- Flavor differences between brands are significant. Tasting in person at local shops beats relying on advertising.
- These thin cookies do not travel well under compression. When on public transport, keep them on top of your bag contents to avoid crushing.
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
When did the name 'Yilan Bing' first appear?
The name was officially adopted in 2001 by founder Liu Deng-hui for this ultra-thin ox-tongue cookie.
How is Yilan Bing different from traditional ox-tongue cookies?
Yilan Bing replaces the traditional lard and sugar with butter and trehalose and is rolled to only about 0.1 cm thick, giving it a crisp, non-sticky texture quite different from the thick, chewy traditional version.
What is the Yilan Bing Invention Museum?
It is an exhibition park established in Su'ao in 2009, covering about 4,000 ping, that documents the development of Yilan Bing from invention to fame.
Sources
- 蘭陽博物館-133期-屬於宜蘭的味道-宜蘭餅發明館 — 蘭陽博物館電子報記載劉鐙徽研發歷程與2001年命名