What is Green Bean Garlic 綠豆蒜 - "lǜ dòu suàn”?
Huh? Green beans with garlic? Can you eat that? Oh,don’t be mistaken. This dessert actually doesn’t contain any garlic. It’s a sweet soup made with peeled green beans that have been steamed.
Green Bean Garlic 綠豆蒜 – “lǜ dòu suàn” , locally known as ‘lik-tāu-suàn’ in Taiwanese, is a distinctive and traditional dessert particularly associated with Kenting and its surrounding regions in Taiwan, but mostly in Checheng Township. Despite its name, this sweet delicacy does not contain any garlic. The name ‘Green Bean Garlic’ is derived from the appearance of the peeled and steamed green bean kernels, which resemble minced garlic.
綠豆蒜 Green Bean Garlic
Green Bean Garlic is traditionally served hot, regardless of the season, reflecting a practice common in its place of origin in China, as well as in Hong Kong and Singapore-Malaysia. However, there have been variations in how it is served, with some preferring it chilled, especially during the hot summer months. This flexibility in serving temperature makes it a versatile dessert, suitable for different weather conditions and personal preferences.
The dessert has evolved, with creative twists added by various vendors. These include adding ingredients like longan, and pandan leaves, and even contemporary additions such as ice cream and specialty coffee, reflecting the fusion of traditional flavors with modern tastes.
In Kenting, and especially in Checheng Township, which comprises a part of Kenting National Park, Green Bean Garlic is not just a dessert; it’s a part of the cultural fabric. It is often found in local eateries and street food stalls, making it an integral part of the Kenting food experience. Visitors while on their way to Kenting are encouraged to try this unique, locally beloved dessert to get a true taste of the region’s culinary tradition.
7 Best Snack Shops To Eat Kenting's Green Bean Garlic 綠豆蒜 desert
1) Fu'an Temple Street Food Market Stalls
The easiest and time-saving way is just to stop over on your trip down to Kenting in Checheng Township (which, as we discussed in the article about Green Bean Garlic, has the biggest amount of eateries featuring this dessert) – and just head over to Fu’an temple, where you will see a pretty big, and bustling street food stall market, covered, under the roof.
Virtual tour in Fu’an Temple Food Market
There, just watch for a Chinese sign saying: 綠豆蒜, and then just choose, whether you want it to be hot “热 (rè)”, or cold 冷 (lěng), some shops serve 1 in 2 – one side of the dish is cold and iced, while other is warm.
You can feel the bustle and wide choice of other street food in this market in our 360-degree walk-through, check it out.
While in Fu’an street food market, another must try is Hongren (red-yolk) duck eggs, another local delicacy of Kenting, and especially Checheng.
Location of Fu'an Temple Street Food Market Stalls
2) 歐戀冰品 Ou Lian Ice Treats - Right in the heart of Hengchun Old Street
歐戀冰品 Ou Lian Ice Treats has been in business for about 11 years and is a very popular ice cream shop among the town’s residents. This shop specializes in onion ice cream. Following a series of food safety issues, the owner, who has children, became concerned about providing them the healthiest food.
Realizing that the locally produced onions in Hengchun Township are very beneficial for health but not favored by children, they began researching how to make a healthy and delicious ice cream from onions, resulting in a very unique offering.
In addition to their signature onion ice cream, this shop’s Green Bean Garlic is also a must-try delicacy. The health-conscious owner spent a considerable amount of time researching how to cook Green Bean Garlic with the correct traditional flavor.
The ingredients in the Green Bean Garlic at this shop are fixed, including tapioca pearls, glass noodles, glutinous rice balls, and longan. The owner likes to say that this traditional Hengchun wedding dessert carries many meaningful symbols: the red sugar represents ‘a house full of gold and jade,’ longan symbolizes ‘the birth of noble children,’ and glutinous rice balls represent ‘fullness and completeness,’ making it a dessert full of blessings!
3) 黃家綠豆蒜 Huang Family's Green Bean Soup: A super popular historic shop near Fu'an Temple
This old shop, ‘Huang Family’s Green Bean Soup,’ located near Checheng Fu’an Temple, should be familiar to many. It’s a must-visit eatery for many people when they come to Kenting. On weekends and holidays, it’s always packed with customers, with no empty seats, and the business is booming.”
This indicates that Huang Family’s Green Bean Soup is a well-known and highly frequented establishment in the area, especially popular among tourists and visitors to Kenting, with exceptional patronage, particularly during peak times such as weekends and holidays.
This shop also follows a more traditional route. Besides the original flavor green bean soup, the only additions you can make are vermicelli and green beans, which keeps it quite simple.
But it’s precisely this simplicity that allows you to appreciate the true flavor of the green bean soup, which is sweet without being cloying. In terms of texture, I personally find the thickened sweet soup here to be noticeably thicker than others, leaving you feeling quite satisfied after eating. Perhaps this is why many people in the past would have it as a main meal!
Original flavor green bean soup in Huang’s family shop
Iced version
4) 阿娥姐 綠豆蒜 Sister A'e's Green Bean Garlic: Exclusive sweet milk flavor
Next up for introduction is ‘Sister A’e’s Green Bean Garlic’ located on Hengchun Old Street. This shop is trendy among the locals. The owner, Sister A’e, is not only hospitable but also dedicates a lot of time daily to simmering green bean soup, making it flavorful and delicious.
She uses genuine ingredients without any chemical additives. However, due to the fresh daily preparation, there’s a limited supply of green bean soup available each day, so once it’s sold out, that’s it. If you want to try some, make sure to get there early!
5) 柯記綠豆饌 Ke Ji Green Bean Cuisine: The rich aroma of peanuts, making you unable to resist
Next, I would like to recommend ‘Ke Ji Green Bean Cuisine’ located on Hengchun Old Street. This green bean soup shop is extremely popular in Hengchun, often seen with long lines of customers waiting at the door. It’s one of the must-try delicacies for tourists visiting the old street.
Ke Ji Green Bean Cuisine
In the green bean soup, they also add longan to simmer, giving it an additional layer of sweet fragrance. (By the way, green bean soup is really delicious whether it’s served cold or hot. Every time I hesitate over whether to order it cold or hot…).
Longan is a tropical fruit, known scientifically as Dimocarpus longan. It's a small, round fruit with a translucent white flesh and a single large seed inside, much like a lychee. The skin is thin, brown, and leathery. Longans are sweet and fragrant, often described as having a musky, sweet taste. This fruit is commonly found in Southeast Asia and is popular in various Asian cuisines, both in fresh and dried forms. Longans are not only appreciated for their taste but also for their purported health benefits, including boosting immunity and relaxation properties.
Longan fruit
In addition to the usual ingredients like vermicelli, chewy balls, green beans, and red beans, this place also offers peanuts as an extra option, which I found quite impressive. The rich aroma of the peanuts is very pronounced and they surprisingly complement the dish well. Plus, it’s not overly sweet, making it exceptionally delicious. No wonder there’s always a long queue here every day.
6) 林媽媽綠豆蒜 Lin Mama's Green Bean Garlic: The exclusive shaved ice and caramel
Lin Mama’s Green Bean Garlic,’ is a super popular old store located next to Fu’an Temple. With a history of over 20 years, it’s one of the eateries that locals habitually frequent (indeed, green bean soup is not just a tourist attraction, it’s a common snack that locals enjoy regularly). To this day, you can still see Lin Mama herself preparing the fragrant and delicious green bean soup for her customers daily!”
After shelling, the green beans need to be steamed until soft before being simmered. Actually, the preparation is quite labor-intensive!
Each old shop has its own unique ingredients and flavors. ‘Lin Mama’s Green Bean Soup’ offers choices like red beans, chewy rice cakes, vermicelli, and green beans. I ordered a bowl with a mix of flavors and found the sweet taste of red beans particularly appealing. What makes this shop’s flavor exclusive is the use of ‘maltose’ coupled with ‘shaved ice.
Green bean garlic with maltose
Maltose, also known as malt sugar, is a type of sugar made from two glucose units joined together. It is less sweet than sucrose (table sugar) and is produced when certain grains, most notably barley, are fermented or when starchy foods are broken down through a process known as malting. This involves soaking the grains in water, allowing them to sprout, and then drying them.
Because it is a shop with considerable history, the building also has an antique charm, exuding a lot of character.
7) 阿伯綠豆饌 Uncle's Green Bean Cuisine: Sweet but not cloying
‘Uncle’s Green Bean Cuisine,’ has a history of 40 years. In the early days, Uncle used to push his cart through the streets of Hengchun, selling his products, a shared memory for many people in Hengchun. Now, as Uncle has aged, his cart has transformed into a shop. However, you can still occasionally see him bustling about in the shop. To this day, the shop still preserves the original vending cart used for selling back then!
In the past, green bean soup was always served hot and in its original flavor, consisting only of green beans and sugar water thickened with starch. The rich caramel aroma combined with the texture of green beans was truly irresistible. Even for those who have lived here a long time, there’s always a desire to enjoy a bowl now and then.
In winter, a steaming hot bowl of green bean soup is a must to warm up the body. Later, in summer, crushed ice was added to turn it into a cold dessert, along with other ingredients like vermicelli and chewy balls, making it cool and refreshing. All in all, it’s a snack suitable for all seasons!
Closing Thoughts
We have been delving deep into those 7 wonderful local places to try out the green bean garlic while on your way to Kenting. if you are interested to learn more about the history and roots of the delicacy – I covered it here in depth.
Green bean garlic, a traditional and beloved delicacy in Kenting area – as we saw, especially in Checheng, is an absolute must-try for anyone visiting the area. Its unique preparation, combining the natural sweetness of green beans with a variety of textures and flavors, offers a culinary experience that is both comforting and delightful.
The rich history of this dish, often passed down through generations of local vendors like Uncle’s Green Bean Cuisine or Lin Mama’s Green Bean Garlic, adds a depth of cultural significance to every bite. Whether served steaming hot to warm you during the cooler months or as a refreshing cold dessert with crushed ice in the summer, green bean garlic perfectly encapsulates the essence of Kenting’s local culinary scene.
Its versatility and the skillful balance of flavors make it more than just a snack; it’s a reflection of the local lifestyle and gastronomic heritage. The fact that residents, who have lived in Kenting for years, still relish this treat regularly speaks volumes about its enduring appeal. Whether you’re seeking a quick, satisfying snack or a taste of authentic Taiwanese culinary tradition, green bean garlic in Kenting is an experience you shouldn’t miss. This simple yet exquisite dish not only satisfies the palate but also offers a glimpse into the heart and soul of Kenting’s vibrant food culture. Happy eating!