Eight Treasure Taro Paste (Ba Bao Yu Ni) commonly appears as the final dessert course at Taiwanese banquets. The preparation is extraordinarily complex; when hosts serve this dish at meal's end, it signals exceptional hospitality. The dish has even graced Taiwan's state banquets.

Taro takes center stage in this dish. One of humanity's earliest domesticated plants, taro is traditionally enjoyed braised until tender. Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo, during his exile, wrote poetically in Dongpo Ji about a simple soup his son prepared: "My son came up with a novel idea—making 'jade-bead soup' with mountain taro. The color, aroma, and flavor were all superb." This humble dish of taro showcased how even basic preparations could deliver exceptional taste. In northern China, ba bao typically appears in rice dishes; in the south, where taro thrives in warm climates, combining ba bao with taro paste as a sweet preparation proved more popular.

Taro Paste Frequently Appears in Southern Chinese Desserts

After 1949, when the Nationalist government relocated to Taiwan, Presidents Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo reportedly favored eight treasure taro paste; at state banquets, this dish would be served as dessert.

This may explain the dish's widespread popularity in Taiwan. Before Taiwan's economic boom, spotting eight treasure taro paste among festive dishes signaled a wealthy household—one that could afford such an elaborate sweet.

Taichung's Dajia District is the primary taro-growing region, followed by Gaoshu in Pingtung County, allowing Taiwan to source fresh taro across different seasons. Today, many restaurants and traditional pastry shops still offer eight treasure taro paste; customers can take it home to steam and serve as a dessert for Lunar New Year celebrations, a common sight in Taiwanese households.

To make it at home: select premium taro, slice and cube it, then steam with butter and sugar. After cooking, press the taro through a fine sieve to create a smooth paste. Top with red beans, jujubes (fresh and dried), lotus seeds, and white hyacinth beans, then drizzle with osmanthus syrup to complete the dish.