楊桃─做成蜜餞加冰，是古早味

Tube rice pudding (tong zai mi gao, 筒仔米糕), a Taiwanese savory classic that could pass for the twin of you fan, was once a humble snack for ordinary people—meant to savor rather than fill. Today, it has spread throughout streets and markets and, with its distinctive flavor and local character, has earned a coveted place in the Michelin Guide.

Dried fruit is produced by removing moisture from fresh fruit through sun-drying, oven-drying, or similar methods. Taiwan, renowned as the "Kingdom of Fruit," benefits from its favorable geography and climate to cultivate an impressive variety of flavorful fruits. During abundant harvest years, when the yield exceeds what can be sold fresh, the spirit of resourcefulness and respect for ingredients leads farmers to preserve the surplus through drying. This process not only extends the fruit's shelf life but also concentrates its natural sugars through heat, resulting in an even sweeter, more intense flavor.

What Taiwanese commonly call zaozi is actually the Indian jujube, revealing its origins in India. While the exact timing of its introduction to Taiwan remains unclear, cultivation records date back to the Japanese colonial period.