Traditional Hakka Food at Hsinchu’s Hukou Old Street

Try Authentic Hakka Food with me in Taiwan at Hsinchu’s Hukou Old Street. I had to make an emergency trip back to Taiwan, but I made the best of it by heading over to Hsinchu with my family. We visited Hukou Old Street, one of the old streets in Taiwan that’s more heavily influenced by the local Hakka culture. From unique Hakka dishes to simple desserts, check out what Hukou Old Street has to offer!

• How To Get To Hukou Old Street
• Shopping For Souvenirs On Hukou Old Street
  • Handmade Hakka Souvenirs – 湖口老街雜貨店
  • Handmade Ceramics – 詹志良陶玩  
• What To Eat At Hukou Old Street
  • Grass Jelly Drink – 正宗關西仙草
  • Grilled Stinky Tofu Skewers – 劉記碳烤臭豆腐
  • Old Fashioned Taro Ice Cream – 腳踏車芋泥
  • Authentic Hakka Cuisine – 新友飲食店
  • Traditional Ginger Mochi Dessert – 老屋緣涼茶舖

How To Get To Hukou Old Street

What’s a trip to Taiwan without trying Hakka food? We had to visit Hukou Old Street 湖口老街 in Hsinchu 新竹, home to many Hakka families in Taiwan. It’s a haven of Hakka street foods and restaurants!

Hukou Old Street is in Hsinchu, about an hour drive away from Taipei. To get to Hukou Old Street via public transport, you can take the local train from anywhere to Hsinchu Station, and then take a bus to Old Jiuhukou Station.

Shopping For Souvenirs On Hukou Old Street

Compared to the other historical old streets in other cities, Hukou Old Street has a uniquely Hakka flair that stands out in both its cuisine and souvenirs. From studios celebrating Hakka art techniques to stores selling the same wares since 30 years ago, shopping in Hukou is a great snapshot into traditional Hakka lifestyles.

Handmade Hakka Souvenirs – 湖口老街雜貨店

The store is has woven household goods and bags hanging all over. Located at the start of the street, you won’t miss this trinket store 湖口老街雜貨店. The items here are quite affordable – some for as low as $0.50! Out front, you can also see a bunch of sturdy woven chairs and stools.

There’s tons of simple, old-fashioned handmade toys and artwork you can buy as gifts. My mom definitely grabbed a few things for home here. If you’re looking for any souvenirs for kids, this is a great place to find toys or unique decorations for your home.

Handmade Ceramics – 詹志良陶玩

Old streets in Taiwan often have studios for artists creating and preserving traditional arts. This adorable ceramic studio 詹志良陶玩 on Hukou Old Street is exactly that. You can take ceramics classes here, or you can browse his store full of beautiful handmade ceramic cups and bowls and hang out with the cute cats.

This studio is a great place to grab some mugs and plates to take home as gifts! We brought home a few cute mugs ourselves.

What To Eat At Hukou Old Street

Strolling through old historical streets in Taiwan is like stepping into a foodie’s paradise. You’re greeted with beautiful architecture, irresistible food stalls, and friendly faces all around. If you’ve never tried Hakka food, they’re known for their savory, umami-packed, slightly spicy dishes using simple ingredients. Hukou Old Street is packed full of delicious street foods stands, but also has its fair share of delicious sit-down restaurants!

Grass Jelly Drink – 正宗關西仙草

The weather’s really heating up as we’re exploring the street, so we grabbed a refreshing traditional grass jelly drink that’s perfect for summer at 正宗關西仙草. They have a couple different versions of traditional grass jelly drinks to choose from, ranging from 30-50 NTD. If you’re hungry, they also sell bite-sized braised tofu.

My dad and I each got their grass jelly tea. The grass jelly is sweetened by brown sugar, and not too sweet. It has a gentle grassy aftertaste that leaves you so refreshed. My dad loved it so much, he had to get seconds! These grass jelly drinks are perfect for a grab-and-go refreshment on your walk!

Grilled Stinky Tofu Skewers – 劉記碳烤臭豆腐

I couldn’t pass up this iconic Taiwanese street food – stinky tofu. Liu’s Grilled Stinky Tofu 劉記碳烤臭豆腐 is a stall you can find along Hukou Old Street you’ll definitely smell before you see. The staff is constantly grilling rows of skewered tofu, covering them with sauce and spices. It smells stinky, but it looks so good!

These tofu skewers hit the spot and are an affordable snack for 40 NTD a skewer. The sauce is savory but slightly sweet, and the tofu is tender. I actually prefer the grilled stinky tofu to deep fried stinky tofu, because it soaks up all that sauce, making it crispy outside, but soft and juicy inside. If you dare challenge the stinky tofu, this one’s an amazing choice.

Old Fashioned Taro Ice Cream – 腳踏車芋泥

Along Hukou Old Street, we found ourselves a frozen treat at Bike Taro 腳踏車芋泥. Bike Taro offers 2 things: Hot Mashed Taro, and Traditional Taro Ice Cream. Traditional Taiwanese Ice Cream isn’t made with cream, but rather mixing natural flavors and juices and starch slurries to produce a fluffy, yet icier “ice cream”.

Taro isn’t usually my favorite, but this ice cream is so creamy and yummy, I couldn’t stop myself. The ice cream’s velvety smooth texture and nutty richness is almost like eating spoonfuls of frozen pure taro! Absolutely worth the brain freeze!

At 50 NTD per cup, this ice cream is delicious and affordable. If you’re visiting in winter, you should definitely try the hot taro mash too!

Authentic Hakka Cuisine – 新友飲食店

Of course, we had to visit an authentic Hakka restaurant here at Hukou Old Street. We chose one we haven’t been back to for at least 10 years – 新友飲食店. These Hakka household dishes bring back so many memories!

My dad’s favorite dish for the day was easily the slow braised pork hock – packed with gelatin and infused with flavor. A must have Hakka dish? Stir Fried Ginger Intestines (160 NTD). The intestines are cleaned and boiled, then sautéed with spicy ginger and sour vinegar. It wakes up your tastebuds, but rounds it out as you chew the fatty intestine. It can be intimidating, but i promise, you won’t regret giving it a try.

One of my of my favorite Hakka dishes is the Hakka Stir Fry (160 NTD), a traditional stir fry dish made of julienned dried tofu, pepper, salted meat, dried squid, and different aromatics and seasonings. Every bite is crunchy and savory – perfect to pair with rice.

All this food was less than $20, and we finished everything! If you’re looking to experience an authentic Hakka food restaurant experience, this is the place!

Traditional Ginger Mochi Dessert – 老屋緣涼茶舖

We stumbled across this cute old school tea shop and dessert shop 老屋緣涼茶舖 along the street with an old-fashioned Hakka household decor. Their menu consisted of drinks and desserts made of red and green bean, grass jelly, plum, and more, We decided to try their hot Ginger Mochi and blended frozen roasted flour tea.

The blended roasted flour tea (55 NTD) is made with a blended base of frozen roasted flour tea and green beans. Inside, they add sweetened red and green bean, grass jelly, roasted rice puff, and mini tapioca.
It has so many different textures from all the toppings, it felt like eating a frozen oatmeal smoothie!

The ginger mochi was 50NTD, and an absolute treat! The chewy mochi becomes softer in the hot ginger syrup. As you chew, the aroma of roasted peanuts, spicy ginger, and the sweetness of sticky rice fills your mouth and heats you up. I loved the flavor of it, but maybe not in the 38° weather.

I loved the vibes and the treats here at this little unassuming tea and dessert shop. I’ll definitely come back again to try in the winter! It’s an affordable place to get a taste of authentic Hakka treats at Hukou Old Street.

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