Donggang Rice Cake with Milkfish Broth 东港肉粿

Donggang Rice Cake with Milkfish Broth (东港肉粿) is a snack of Donggang township (東港鎮) in Pingtung County (屏東縣): strips of soft, springy rice cake topped with sausage, pork and small shrimp and covered in a broth made from milkfish. The Pingtung County government travel site says rice-cake shops are signposted all over the town and that the dish has been made there for more than 60 years.

How it is made

The cake is made from aged indica rice (在來米), which the county site credits with its fragrant, springy texture. It is combined with fresh sausage, xiahou shrimp (蝦猴) and braised minced pork. The broth is the second main element: milkfish (虱目魚) bones and flesh are simmered slowly over a low heat, and some shops add rice milk to make it fuller.

How it is eaten

The county site lists the classic toppings as sausage, xiahou shrimp, chunks of tuna and slices of pork over soft, springy strips of rice cake. A SETN (三立新聞) report on Donggang describes a version with sausage, xiahou shrimp and pork belly under the milkfish-bone broth. Donggang Rice Cake with Milkfish Broth is a small dish eaten for its flavour rather than to fill up.

Where it comes from

According to the county site, older generations in Donggang ate the dish as an afternoon snack after farm work, and it reflects a town that lived by both farming and fishing. The shops are plain, with simple tables and chairs.