---
title: Hualien Xiang Wontons (花蓮香扁食)
url: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/notes/hualien-xiang-wontons/
lang: en
journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/hualien/
---

# Hualien Xiang Wontons (花蓮香扁食)

Places we stopped along the way　/　Hualien, Taiwan

A shop of the wonton chain that began in Hualien in 1997. Thin-skinned wontons packed with filling come in a light broth fragrant with celery. Warming pans by the counter held side dishes such as braised tofu.

## This moment in the journey: Bianshi, the wontons of Hualien

Hualien's specialty, I was told, is bianshi (扁食), and wonton shops line the streets. The long-established favorites were tempting, but I wandered into a shop I happened to pass, under a sign reading 花蓮香. In the kitchen, wontons were boiling in a steaming pot.

These are what we in Japan know as wonton. The bowl arrived with plump dumplings floating in the soup: thin skins packed tight with juicy filling, and a gentle, light broth with a hint of celery that soaked right through me.

Beside the counter, warming pans held side dishes such as braised tofu. Warm and delicious, it soothed me to the core.

![Plump wontons floating in the soup](https://karigurashijourney.com/img/hualien/s77-1200.jpg)
- Sources: https://www.businesstoday.com.tw/article/category/183016/post/201101060008/
- Sources: https://www.marieclaire.com.tw/lifestyle/taste/63542

Read this scene in the full journey: https://karigurashijourney.com/en/episodes/hualien/