Thursday, June 2, 2011

鳳梨酥 (Pineapple Cake)



********* Updated on Sunday 5 June 2011 *********

I realised that I couldn't tell the size of the pineapple cakes from my photos here. Just for the record, in general the dimensions of a pineapple cake are: 2 inches (length) x 1.5 inches (width) x 0.8 of an inch (thickness). Of course there are exceptions, some are smaller by 0.5" and some are larger by 0.5". So far, I have not seen one bigger than 2.5" x 2" or smaller than 1" x 1".

Adding to this list, these are the pineapple cakes bought by my brother from Yu-Jan-Shin pastry house in Taiwan. As I did not get to taste them, I am only noting down what I was told about how they taste.

Website: www.yjs.com.tw

The box with the round tag on it is the gold award winning pineapple cake.
Normal Price: TWD440
Discounted Price: TWD 410 (~RM43 or USD14) for 20 pieces in a gift box (~RM2.15each).
Notable Taste: The pineapple paste is darker in colour and the taste of the fillings is similar to Malacca nyonya pineapple tarts.

Note the darker fillings in the cake on the right
The other box:
Normal Price: TWD400
Discounted Price: TWD 370 (~RM39 or USD13) for 20 pieces in a gift box (~RM1.95each).

*End of updateUpdated on Sunday 5 June 2011 *

My mother just came back from Taipei and she gave me all these pineapple cakes that were made in Taiwan. I am making some short notes here so that I know which ones to buy when I go to Taiwan.


Website: www.pcake.com.tw and www.dawncake.com.tw
Unlike the rest of the pineapple cakes which are square in shape, this one is round. It is also known as Native Pineapple Cake and according to the FAQ on its website this is because "It’s made from genuine Native Pineapple and is totally different from so-called Pineapple Cake made from squash or artificial scents and flavoring."
***My note: the common pineapple paste in pineapple cake made in Taiwan is generally made out of pineapple and lots of winter melon so please check the ingredients listed on the box if you are looking to buy pineapple cake with fillings made mainly with  pineapple.***
Price: TWD430 (~RM45 or USD15) for 18 pieces in a gift box (~RM2.5each).
Calories per Serving (30g): 135.75kcal
They cater for international delivery to China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and USA (too bad Malaysia is not in the list). Notable taste: The pastry crust tastes like it has cheese in it. Will I buy: Yes

Website: same as the one above. Name: 17th Pineapple cake (I'm not sure why it is named this way). Square in shape. Price: TWD530 (~RM56 or USD18) for 14 pieces in a gift box (~RM4 each). Notable taste: The pastry crust tastes like it has salty egg yolk in it. Will I buy: Maybe (due to the expensive price)

Website:www.food168.com.tw
Square in shape (as shown in the following photo). Price: TWD300 (~RM32 or USD10) for 20 pieces (~RM1.6 each). Notable taste: The pastry crust has a strong milky taste which I like. Will I buy: Definite yes
Source: http://www.food168.com.tw/poducts-list-1.htm
Website: www.chiate88.com
Square in shape. Price: TWD520 (~RM54 or USD18) for 20 pieces (~RM2.7 each). Notable taste: The pastry crust has a strong buttery taste. Will I buy: Yes

Website: www.royal-family.com.tw
Square in shape. Price: TWD220 (~RM24 or USD8) for 16 pieces (~RM1.5 each). Notable taste: The pineapple paste is too sweet and does not taste natural.
Will I buy: No







As my spouse does not like to eat food items made from butter or milk, these are all for me so I will eat one every other day to ensure that my sugar intake does not go up too much in a day.

7 comments:

  1. The cake with salty egg yolk in it does not sound good. I'm impressed with your self control. One cake every other day?!? I'd have to hide them and hope I forget about them for that to work. Out of sight, out of mind. :)

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  2. This post looks more like advertisement leh. Haha! Is Taiwan food really unsafe now? I wish to try bubble milk tea there one day...hehe

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  3. Ohh I LOVE pineapple cake!! But only ever went for it at cny.. (that's the same pineapple cake right? :P)

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  4. Hello Jamie, the cake that tastes like salty egg yolk is surprisingly quite tasty!

    Hi Jenn, don't think I am qualified to write advert leh. ;p Only certain food from Taiwan is unsafe for now, just need to follow the news updates. Bubble milk tea from Chatime is exactly like those bought from Taiwan. (not advertising for Chatime leh).

    Hi there Aileen, The native pineapple cakes are quite similar to those (not nyonya pineapple tarts) pineapple tarts in KL. But the common pineapple cakes made in Taiwan with winter melon in the paste/jam are very different in taste to those sold in KL. Yes, best to eat these during CNY only because they are not exactly healthy food.

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  5. I love any kind of pineapple cakes/tarts/etc..... Love! Yummy!

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  6. Hi Redbabe, then you would love all these different brand of pineapple cakes sold in Taiwan! :)

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  7. Thanks a lot for your post! After my first trip to Taiwan, I have become a lifelong pineapple cake fiend. I tried this brand, which has pure tart pineapple filling and no preservatives for a fresh taste.

    http://www.nougat.com.tw/

    Yu-Jan-Shin looks promising.

    Where can I find these in HK??

    Signed,
    Hungry

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