8 Addictive Peanut Taiwanese Snacks You Need to Try

Peanuts are a relatively under the radar produce of Taiwan, yet they play an enormous role in the creation of delicious Taiwanese snacks. From squishy mochis to crunchy brittles, peanuts are one of the best ways to explore the inventiveness – and deliciousness – of Taiwanese local cuisines. So here are 8 ways to enjoy peanuts in Taiwan!

But first, what are peanuts and why are they in Taiwan?

Are Peanuts A Nut?

Contrary to popular belief, and the deceptive name, peanuts are not nuts; they’re actually legumes. Peanuts fall into this category because they’re grown inside a pod rather than hanging individually on a vine or blossoming on a tree. 

However, what makes peanuts different from other legumes is that peanuts grow underground, with their seeds sprouting peanut plants that can be seen above. It is due to this natural process that peanuts in Taiwan are often viewed with a little trepidation during the summer months because there’s an increase of moisture in the ground, which creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria.  

Which, unfortunately, often makes peanuts the culprit for extreme food poisoning cases, stemming from bacterial infections.

When Did Peanuts Arrive in Taiwan?

Peanuts have existed in Taiwan for over 500 years and were initially introduced to the island for oil extraction purposes. As diets changed, the prevalence of Taiwan peanuts expanded to cover greater peanut varieties and farming locations, rapidly increasing peanut production within the last hundred years or so. 

In fact, a joint Chinese-American study published in 1955 found that the production of peanuts in Taiwan had increased tenfold from 1900 to 1953. Peanut farms in Taiwan continue to grow  the legume, cultivating 20,00 to 23,000 hectares of land a year, yielding about 51,000 to 70,000 tonnes of Taiwan peanuts. So, where are peanuts in Taiwan grown?

Where Do Peanuts Grow in Taiwan?

There are several places that grow peanuts in Taiwan and they’re mostly located on the west and south west part of the island. Yunlin, a county renowned for its flat plains, produces the most peanuts in Taiwan, closely followed by Changhua, Chiayi, and Tainan. 

Kinmen, a collection of small islands just off the coast of Shenzhen (China), features another perfect environment for peanuts to grow. In the past, the stark contrast of the monsoon season followed by the dry season caused havoc for Kinmen farmers and their crops. They later realized that this contrast offered the ideal climate for peanut farms, which is why Kinmen is now a popular producer of peanuts, and peanut related goods, in Taiwan.

8 Local Taiwanese Snacks With Peanuts

Peanut Ice Cream Roll

I came across my first Taiwan peanut ice cream roll (花生捲冰淇淋) on a trip to Ciqin day market, in Kaohsiung. It was a sweltering day, and the idea of a cool peanut flavored ice cream was the absolute best idea.

But this Taiwan ice cream experience isn’t exactly what you’d expect. For starters, the cold treat is wrapped into a roll that’s almost tortilla texture in nature. Next, the ice cream is garnished with peanut brittle shavings and cilantro (coriander)! It’s a weird yet wholly welcome flavor.

Peanut Brittle

Peanut brittle (花生糖) is a staple of any local Taiwanese gathering and a common gift to receive from friends and family. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that this is like the run of the mill low quality candies doled out in the US: peanut brittle is delicious.

It’s also meant to be good luck, hence why peanut brittle is extremely prevalent in stores during the Lunar New Year festival. Peanut brittle is widely available across Taiwan, however nowhere does it best like the south (the sweetest part of Taiwan).

Peanut Egg Roll

More commonly known as wafer rolls in the US and UK, egg rolls (蛋捲) are made up of a sweet creamy filling encased in a crisp wafer crust. While they’re a beloved traditional Taiwanese snack for all occasions, Taiwan egg rolls often make an appearance at festivals for Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Tomb Sweeping Festival.

Taiwan peanut butter rolls are one of the most popular variations of egg rolls, alongside other fillings like chocolate, coffee, black sesame, and pork floss.

Peanut Wheel Cake

Wheel cake (車輪餅) is the Taiwanese version of taiyaki, the Japanese fish-shaped pastry that has visitors flying across the globe to savor the classic adzuki red bean and Madagascan vanilla custard. Taiwan wheel cakes have those fillings too, just in the form of a squat cylinder.

A popular stall on street corners and in night markets in Taiwan, wheel cake stores are beloved throughout the island nation and feature many flavors including peanut.

Peanut Mochi

Mochi is a small soft rice flour dumpling with a creamy filling. It can come in many flavors, including matcha, brown sugar, and black sesame. In the case of Taiwanese peanut mochi, creamy peanut butter is encased in a chewy mochi which is then rolled in peanut sugar to give it a distinct melt in your mouth peanut covering. 

While available throughout Taiwan in convenience stores and souvenir stores, the best place to try Taiwan peanut mochi is in Hualien. You can even find places that serve it on a stick like the Japanese (minus the grilling and syrup).

Peanut Candy

Local Taiwanese snacks, like peanut candy, cover a wide spectrum, from encroaching on classic and traditional candies like peanut brittle and peanut nougat, to mass produced Taiwanese snacks. It really goes to show how versatile the humble peanut can be, and how inventive the Taiwanese are.

Like peanut brittle, peanut candies star in every Taiwanese festival and celebration. And the candies are made across Taiwan, including Kinmen where they even boast 17 flavors of peanut candy!

Taiwanese Peanut Butter

Much of the peanut products in Taiwan owe their fame to Taiwanese peanut butter. The pinnacle product for many Taiwanese snacks, Taiwan peanut butter is the literal and metaphorical center of mochi, egg rolls, wheel cake, and peanut ice cream rolls, and is a staple in every pantry. Yes, even the Taiwanese enjoy peanut butter on toast. 

Taiwan Peanut Soup

Peanut Soup is a kind of Taiwanese peanut drink predominantly enjoyed by the older generation. It’s sweet, almost ridiculously so, and features softened peanuts swimming in a sweet white syrup. Peanut soup is sold practically everywhere too, from convenience stores like 7-11 and FamilyMart to supermarkets like Pxmart, and in vending machines across the country.