Food and Mountain Coffee in Alishan

Part of the Alishan travel guide — see every topic in All Alishan Guides.

The food around Alishan is simple, warm and tied to the mountains. You can eat a classic railway bento at Fenqihu, try dishes from the Tsou, the Indigenous people of these hills, and drink high-mountain tea or coffee grown on the slopes. Inside the main recreation area, choices are limited and many places close early. The villages along the road up from Chiayi have more variety, so it is worth stopping on the way.

Fenqihu railway bento

Fenqihu is an old railway town at about 1,400 metres, halfway up the forest railway. It is famous for its bento, a boxed meal of rice topped with braised pork or chicken, egg, tofu and vegetables. The meal was first sold to railway passengers and staff, and it is still a favourite with visitors. The town has a short old street with food stalls, cake shops and tea shops, and a small display of old locomotives. Fenqihu can be reached by bus or by car, and on some forest railway services.

Tsou cooking

The Tsou are the Indigenous people of the Alishan area, and their villages lie in the valleys and slopes around the mountain. Some Tsou-run restaurants and guesthouses serve mountain dishes such as sticky rice cooked in bamboo, millet, grilled meats and wild greens from the forest. Flavours are fresh and simple. Eating at a Tsou-run restaurant is a good way to support the community. Some villages also run ecotourism projects. In Shanmei village, the community protects a river and its native fish, and visitors can walk there.

Alishan coffee

Coffee may be a surprise, but farms on the slopes of Alishan grow arabica coffee, and some have won prizes in coffee competitions in Taiwan. Many growers are Tsou families. The coffee is often light and fruity, with low bitterness. Small cafes in the villages roast their own beans and serve them by hand pour. Local coffee is produced in small amounts and can be expensive, but it is a special taste of the mountains. Buy a bag of beans from a small farm as a gift, and ask the grower about the farm and the harvest.

Aiyu jelly and snacks

Aiyu jelly is a cool, clear jelly made from the seeds of a climbing fig that grows in Taiwan's mountains. It is often served with lemon juice and honey, and it is very refreshing on a warm day. Stalls in Fenqihu, Shizhuo and the main Alishan village sell it, along with tea-flavoured cakes, sweet potato snacks and hot drinks. These small snacks are easy to eat on the go between trains and walks. In the cold evenings, a cup of hot ginger tea or local oolong is a simple way to warm up.

Eating in the recreation area

The main village inside the Alishan Forest Recreation Area has a small group of restaurants, a convenience store and some food stalls. Most serve simple set meals, noodles and stir-fried dishes. Many places close early in the evening, often around eight o'clock, so plan dinner early. Breakfast is usually at your hotel, and some places open very early for the sunrise crowd. If you stay for more than a day, buy snacks and drinks in Chiayi or along the road, as choices up high are limited.

Food and Mountain Coffee at a glance

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