The finale episode of the Chinese class of the Spring Semester 2014 was a visit to a famous pineapple cake factory, Vigor Kobo. Founded in 1992, it is one of Taiwan's famous pineapple cake brands. The factory is accessible via Exit 5 of MRT Xinpu Station then taking Bus 805 or 813 to Far Eastern Logistics bus stop. Pineapple cakes are called Fènglí sū (凤梨酥) [Filipino: fang-li-su] and selling pineapple cakes is a multi-million Taiwan dollar business.
The purpose of the field trip to Vigor Kobo was to experience making our own pineapple cakes. Actually, the two main dough were already prepared. It was a yellow and an orange one. Making pineapple cakes was just simple. I just simply rolled the two dough separately and then I cut them into six equal pieces. The orange dough is the pineapple filling while the the yellow dough (crust) is used to cover the orange pineapple filling. My Indians classmates didn't find it difficult to make the pineapple cakes as they are used to the process of rolling and flattening a dough due to their skills in making food like 'rotti'. But one must have strong hands to squeeze and roll the dough as the dough were a bit hard to press.
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| Take note of your mold number! |
We then placed our pineapple cakes to the mold and my favorite was the Taiwan island shape. We were also told to memorize our mold numbers as it was the only way to identify our own handmade pineapple cakes. It was baked in the factory and while waiting we toured the Pineapple Dream Factory.
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| We went upstairs for a tour of the Pineapple Dream Factory. |
The tour includes an interactive 3D game and an amazing movie about pineapples but the interesting part was when the class saw a pineapple cake machine. It was amazing to see those 'golden bricks' mechanically processed and baked and the tour would not be complete if Vigor Kobo won't give us free taste of their famous pineapple cakes. We ate more than one and it was very delicious!
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| Taiwan-shaped pineapple cake |
The class was then brought to the shop where we can choose different cake products to buy. Aside from that there was a free taste of their products. Using just a toothpick you can taste any delicacy that you want. It was almost lunch time and the whole class was hungry and my classmates and I unintentionally ate all the dried mangoes. Haha! We just have a photo with me holding a pineapple cake in a toothpick as if nothing happened.
We finally got our pineapple cakes. It was six pieces of freshly baked handmade cakes of different shapes. The whole DIY and tour package was NTD 250. I also got a coupon from Vigor Kobo. My classmates used their coupon to buy some goods but I just decided to keep it for souvenir purposes. I wrote Taiwan Day 296 on the coupon and kept it to remember the day when I visited Vigor Kobo, the pineapple kingdom.
THINGS TO DO IN TAIPEI
Sakura Series - Taiwan
2025 Forecast
Taipei 101 first flowers
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Taipei Flower Test Center
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Broadwood Park
Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura
Wuling Farm (武陵農場)
SYS kawazu sakura
Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
CKS Memorial Hall
Shibafen Yoshino Sakura
Hope River
Dongfang Temple
Tianyuan Palace
Neicou Stream Trail
Orange Garden Cafe
Yangming Park Visitor Information Center
Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop
Huashan Road
Qianshan Park
Zhongshan Hall Entrance
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura
Neihu Creek Trail
Shulin Land Office
Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest
Lung Yen Sakura Forest
Yangming Park cherry stream
Yangming Park fountain
CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura
Wugu District Tianyi Road
CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura
Loving Farm
Yong Long Farm
Zhongbaling Sakura Road
Sun Link Sea
Tai'an Police Station
Cherry Hill Slope
Hsinchu Park
Taipei 101
Kāng Gào Kēng Creek
New Garden City
Broadwood Park
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Alishan Ranger Station
Alishan House
Alishan Police Station
Alishan Forest Railway
Alishan Station
Alishan Entrance
Alishan Gou Hotel
Alishan Magnolia Garden
Wulai tour
Wun Chang Elementary School
Bishanyan
Sanzhi Sansei Trail
Sakura Series - Taiwan
Nei Cuo Stream
Orange Garden Cafe
Sansei Trail
Tenglong Sakura Farm
Yangming Park Cherry Stream
Yangming Park Fountain
Flower Test Center
Broadwood Park
New Garden City
Yinghua Park
Pingjing St. Lane 42
Yangmingshan Visitor Center
Taipei 101
Tianyuan Palace backyard
Sakura Series - Japan
Kamonyama Park
Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park
Shinko Park
Minato-mirai 21 area
Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus
Onda River
Tenryuji
Byodoin
Kiyomizudera
Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple
Hōryū-ji Temple
Nara Park attractions
Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus
Sumida River
Tsuruma Park
Gion
Maple Series
Taipei Aowanda
Shimen Dam
Alishan
Aowanda
Shanlinxi
Taoyuan Valley Garden
Fushoushan Farm
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| Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis |
The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)
Always in my heart
MRT birdman
Valentine's Day
Tulips Festival
2018 Taipei Lantern Festival
City of Azaleas
Linji Huguo Temple
Nanjichang Night Market
Gudetama Chef restaurant
Dalongdong Bao'an Temple
Shilin hollyhocks
Ningxia Night Market
Ximending graffiti
Discovery Center of Taipei
Chunghwa Postal Museum
Double-Decker Bus
Shilin Cold Balls
Jingimoo
GomanMango
mud volcanic ice
Fire and Ice Dumpling
Opium Fen-Yuan
Ichiran Ramen
Liu Shandong Beef Noodles
hydrangea flowers
National Palace Museum
Other attractions in Taipei
Taipei on a budget
Japanese buildings
Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles
Presidential Office Building
Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain
CKS and SYS Hall
City tour
Beitou ramen
MRT Monopoly Game
Winter city tour
Zhicheng Park
Shilin Plum Blossom
Art museums
Shopping in Taipei
Summer desserts
Qingtiangang
Qixingshan hiking
2015 Calla lily
2016 Calla lily
Beitou tour
Beitou-Zhuzihu tour
NTU
Confucius Temple
2015 Dadaocheng Festival
Puppet Museum
Fantasy Ice World
2016 Bread Show
Strawberry picking
2015 Rose Garden
Modern Toilet
Shilin Night Market
NASA Exhibit
Raohe Night Market
Longshan Temple
2013 Taipei Zoo
Maokong Gondola
Lupin flowers
Taipei 101 day visit
Taipei 101 night visit
Tiger Mountain
Din Tai Fung
Taipei Story House
2014 Flower Show
Chrysanthemum Show
Miramar Ferris wheel
Miniatures Museum
Archery
1600 Pandas
Wulaoguo hot pot
Upside Down House
2016 101 Fireworks
New Taipei
Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel
Shifen Waterfall
2017 Sand Sculpture
Dragon Caves
New Taipei tour
2016 Kite Festival
Pingxi Crags
Bitou Cape
2016 Sand Sculpture
2015 Christmasland
Juming - Jinshan
Houtong - Pingxi
Sandiaoling Waterfall
Jiufen foodtrip
Guanyinshan hike
Yehliu Ocean World
2014 Kite Festival
Pingxi Rail tour
Jinguashi tour
Vigor Kobo Pineapple
British Consulate
Yehliu Geopark
2014 Sand Sculpture
Paragliding
2014 Christmasland
2014 Pingxi Lantern
firefly watching
Yingge Ceramics Street
Jiufen tour
Pineapple cake, Have tried our pineapple tarts in Malaysia?
ReplyDeleteHope you have, and please comment.
Cheer Rahim Maarof
I haven't been to Malaysia but I would love to try.
Delete