WANLUAN PORK HOCK
If you enjoy the famed chewy texture of pork hock, don’t miss the opportunity to try one of Taiwan’s most mouthwatering dishes – Wanluan Pork Hock. Wanluan Pork Hock originated in Wanluan County, Pingtung when the Haihong Restaurant, which has been in business for more than 50 years now, opened on what is now known as Pork Knuckle Street.
A healthy side dish of stir-fried bamboo shoots. (right)
The dish is wonderfully chewy, and the braising imbues the meat, skin, and tendons with a gentle soy flavor. It can be enjoyed as a main course or as a snack with drinks, and its deliciousness easily rivals that of Germany’s Schweinshaxe.
The pork is first briefly boiled to soften its flavor. Next, a soak in cold water ensures crispy skin and a tender texture. Finally, braising at low heat for one hour produces translucent non-greasy skin and succulent meat that has become a local tourist favorite.
The dish rose to fame in 1981 when President Chiang Ching-kuo (Chiang Kai-shek’s son and a key figure in Taiwan’s transformation to a vibrant democracy) dined at the Haihong Restaurant. After his meal, he openly praised the deliciousness of the Wanluan Pork Hock. As news of his approval spread, the dish rose to fame and became associated with Taiwan’s road to democratization.
According to local tradition, pork knuckles are considered an auspicious food. For example, eating pork hock vermicelli on one’s birthday is believed to bless one with long life and a strong body. Eating whole hock before taking public examinations is believed to bless one with top marks, and if suffering from a stroke of bad luck, eating rear hock is symbolic of granting the power to quickly dispel the misfortune.
Meinong’s noodles are traditionally served in a broth. (right)
Wanluan is one of the six Hakka settlements in the Pingtung-Kaohsiung region. The texture of the area’s sour and spicy Miàn pà bǎn (handmade noodles) is as good if not better than those of Meinong’s noodles to the North, and an absolute must-taste for foodies and those with a cuisine-oriented itinerary. For those not traveling to Wanluan, Haihong Restaurant has opened a satellite location in Fenggang on the way to Kenting National Park and Sichong River. Depending on the season, they might also offer fried sugarcane sprouts. Be sure to stop by and sample the homey taste of Southern Taiwan.
Cuisine is closely related to the daily lives of those who consume it. Sampling the food of a different culture is a great way to gain understanding and build new perspectives. For more inspirational Taiwanese food, take a look at Yilan’s famous kiln-roasted chicken and Tainan beef soup.
