Taiwan's pig blood cake豬血糕

Taiwan's pig blood cake is steamed pig's blood bar stained with soy sauce, according to the needs of customers are adding sweet chili sauce or spicy sauce, or together with a small amount of thick peanut coriander powder and then plug in the bamboo stick, directly Food in your hand, is an integral part of Taiwan's night markets snack.

Taiwan's pig blood cake common in roadside stalls, steamed and stained with the sauce, peanut powder or parsley to sell, can be used as staple food or snacks. During autumn and winter, pig blood cake is also a popular choice of hot pot.

2009 UK travel site "VirtualTourist.com" Review of Taiwan's pig blood cake as the world's top ten weird first, foreign tourists think it is more terrible than the insects.But the Chinese and Taiwanese people believe that it is very delicious.

米血糕，簡稱為米血，是指以糯米和動物血（豬、鴨、雞、鵝）所做成的一種傳統米食糕點，發源自中國南方農村。依製成原料的不同，大多為鴨血糕與豬血糕二種，再加上糯米的種類搭配，在口感上會有些差異。台灣南部多是以鴨血糕為主，而豬血糕則是台灣北部的傳統小吃。

米血糕是發源自中國南方的一種米食糕點，隨著福建移民傳入台灣。華人多以米食為主，常利用蒸、煮方式，改變米食型態。，鴨肉滋陰補虛，昔日農家在殺鴨之後，基於節儉美德，不忍心倒掉鴨血，故以食器盛米和鴨血，蒸熟後沾醬食用。後來流傳至民間，漸成為平民小吃，又名「鴨血糕」。然而鴨肉價高，養育費時，鴨血供不應求，而雞血卻又不易凝固，於是漸以豬血取代鴨血，成為「豬血糕」。因此，米血糕是鴨血糕與豬血糕的別稱。

米血糕具有兩種意義，一種是作為食品原料的米血糕；另一種則是用前述食材作成的小吃，名稱依照種類的不同可以是「豬血糕」、「花生米血」或「花生豬血糕」，為台灣流行的小吃。

台灣豬血糕

有的小吃攤直接用豬血糕稱呼，有的則是稱為花生豬血糕，是將蒸好的條狀豬血糕沾上醬油後，依照顧客的需求只加甜辣醬或辣醬，或是再加上厚重的花生粉及少量香菜，之後插上竹籤，直接拿在手上食用，是台灣夜市中不可或缺的小吃之一。

另一種選擇是鹽酥雞攤位，豬血糕則是直接丟入油鍋炸，吃之前切塊，然後依照顧客的要求撒上椒鹽粉，辣粉，等等。有些地方的攤位是用鴨血糕當作食材，但是人們往往直接稱呼為豬血糕。
米血糕常見於路邊攤，蒸熟後多以沾醬、花生粉或香菜對外販售，做為主食或零食均可。秋冬期間，米血糕也是熱門火鍋料首選之一，唯不能久煮，易黏鍋底、焦味四起。

2009年臺灣豬血糕被英國旅遊網站「VirtualTourist.com」的會員和編輯評為全球十大怪食之首，被外國遊客認為比蟲子更加惡心、恐怖。

Oolong tea烏龍茶

Oolong tea, known tea varieties. Country of Origin covering mainland China, Taiwan. Oolong tea classification, practices vary depending on region. In China, oolong tea is green tea processing classification of the six red, yellow, green tea, black and white lines of green tea.Oolong tea in China, the same as green tea, green tea entails the oolong tea, green tea as a commodity by Name. In Taiwan, oolong tea is the most specifically refers to the formal title of "tea species, and way of processing tea, " tea species. In addition, the food industry in recent years, bottled tea drinks are also sold commodity production.

Varieties

Taiwan tea selection, the production of Oolong tea, Oolong must use the green, oolong and other large Nuisance species, before they were recognized as orthodox tea, such as the use of gold, jade, Four Seasons, or other varieties of tea are considered as the newly developed Different from the orthodox bird dragon tea.

Effects

Oolong tea to maintain a role in human health, it contains oolong tea polyphenols can inhibit the food contained in the excess oil to avoid the body to absorb too much oil. Without sugar, weight loss or maintaining the effectiveness of certain body type, but also more healthy.

烏龍茶，知名茶葉品種。原產地涵蓋中國大陸、台灣。烏龍茶分類、作法視地域有所不同。在中國大陸，烏龍茶茶葉加工分類上屬於綠紅黃白黑青六大茶系中的青茶，因此在中國大陸烏龍茶等同於青茶，青茶即是指烏龍茶，並被視為青茶的商品名稱。但在台灣，烏龍茶最正規的稱謂是專指用「烏龍茶種、並以烏龍茶方式加工」的茶種。除此，近年食品業者亦有罐裝烏龍茶飲料商品生產販售。

概述

中國大陸

中國大陸指稱的烏龍茶，包括：武夷岩茶、安溪鐵觀音、台灣包種茶、烏龍茶系列的各種半發酵茶，產地大致集中福建、廣東二省，所用的茶葉的茶樹品種與製茶方法十分多元化，除灌木外，甚至有部份使用小喬木種。

台灣

但在台灣青茶類，包括：包種、鐵觀音及烏龍茶，其實都屬青茶製法，但按發酵程度及揉捻成型方式的不同，烏龍茶在台灣被用於專指一特色品種。被搓成長條狀、輕發酵的包種茶，以及以鐵觀音樹種、重發酵重烘焙、搓成球狀的鐵觀音，在台灣都被歸類在烏龍茶以外，甚至知名的東方美人茶（即椪風茶、膨風茶，重發酵重烘焙）亦不被民間視為正統的台灣烏龍茶。

從1980年代台灣茶葉內銷市場日益活躍以來，台灣烏龍茶的種植海拔越來越高，這些海拔在1800公尺以上的高山茶，在製作上與傳統烏龍茶製作，又有不同；一般傾向輕發酵輕焙火，強調保留較多茶葉的原始茶香，並留住更豐富的物質、口感，具有茶葉本身輕花香的特質。由於高山茶價格好，所以台灣烏龍茶的製作日漸傾向高山茶的輕發酵輕焙火，捨棄傳統中發酵中焙火、重「果香」的特色。

品種

台灣在茶葉選用上，製作烏龍茶必須使用青心烏龍、大冇烏龍等品種，始被認同為正統烏龍茶，如使用金、翠玉、四季春或其他品種，則被視為新近研發的茶類，有別於正統的鳥龍茶。

作用

烏龍茶對維持人體健康有一定作用，其所含的烏龍茶多酚可以抑制食物中所含的多餘油份，可避免人體吸收過多油份。若不加入糖份，對於減肥或維持身段有一定的功效，亦更健康。

Lamb hot pot or Lamb oven羊肉爐

In Taiwan, eating lamb hot pot is a favorite of many people in the winter. Shops selling lamb hot pot in Taiwan, from north to south the less there are thousands, each have their own secret recipe, and different conditioning. However, almost all of them emphasize warming lamb is very helpful to human health.

Origin 1

 Kublai Khan led his army expedition, due to fighting hard battles, became exhausted. He ordered the cooks to cook, but when the cook was about to slaughter sheep flesh, the probe reported of enemy soldiers suddenly troops coming, cooking lamb soup is too late to see, he got a idea immediately to cut the lamb meat into the boiling soup, then put it into the bowl soon, sprinkle with salt, add seasoning, ate bowls of Kublai Khan, after riding, led army to fight, finally he captured the enemy and won. Kublai Khan in the celebration Feast, he named a special kind of want to eat when the pre-war set off the taste of lamb.

Origin 2

Lamb hot pot from the Yuan dynasty, Kublai Khan cavalry. To save time, and marching rapidly, when the cavalry picked up the helmet, filled with water and boil, the fillet into thin, eating on the road, over time the formation of a special eating.

在台灣，羊肉爐已經深入消費大眾印象，吃羊肉爐，更是很多人的最愛。
細數羊肉爐，從南到北少說有上千家，各有各的秘方，各有不同調理，取材有別，風味互異，但是萬變不離其宗，幾乎都強調羊肉的溫補，對人體健康大有助益。　
羊肉爐源由的傳說有兩種說法

羊肉爐之源由（一）

　　元世祖忽必烈率軍遠征，由於苦戰惡鬥，人困馬乏，忽然想起家鄉「清燉羊肉」，便下令要伙夫烹煮，不料當正在宰羊割肉時，探兵突然稟告敵軍人馬浩蕩而來，距此地僅有十里之遠，伙夫見清燉羊肉已來不及，便急中生智，立即將切好的羊肉放入滾燙的羊肉高湯中，等肉一變色便撈入碗中，撒上食鹽，加上佐料，雙手奉上主帥，忽必烈連吃幾碗後翻身躍馬，率大軍迎敵而去，結果生擒了敵將，凱旋而歸，忽必烈在慶功宴上，指名還想吃戰前出征時那種特殊口味的羊肉，稱讚自己之所以會大勝，是因吃了「涮」羊肉，而後並御賜名為「涮羊肉」，又名「忽必烈鍋」。

羊肉爐之源由（二）

　　涮羊肉源於忽必烈的元朝鐵騎。為節省時間和行軍神速，當年的騎兵拿起頭盔，裝水煮沸，把肉切薄，吃完上路，久而久之形成一種特殊吃法。切記：勿將羊肉放置鍋中燉煮過久，以避免羊肉過老，而失去其香甜之口感！
　　

Red bean cake紅豆餅

Red bean cake is a Japanese dessert often found at festivals, also wide-spreading in Taiwan (車輪餅 or 紅豆餅). It is made of batter in a special pan (similar to a waffle iron but without the honeycomb pattern), and filled with sweet azuki bean paste, although it is becoming increasingly popular to use a wider variety of fillings such as vanilla custard, different fruit custards and preserves, curry, different meat and vegetable fillings, potato and mayonnaise.

Imagawayaki began to be sold near the Kanda Imagawabashi bridge during An'ei years (1772 - 1781) in the Edo period. The name of Imagawayaki originates from this time.

今川燒是一種源自日本的和菓子（日式甜點），在台灣常稱為車輪餅或稱紅豆餅，相較於日本的今川燒，台灣的紅豆餅不但流行於市井之間，更發展出許多不同的樣式與口味。

台灣的紅豆餅依餅皮口感主要分為兩大類：鬆軟的蛋糕皮與鬆脆的脆皮。傳統的紅豆餅餅皮口感則介於兩者之間。

而台灣的紅豆餅餡料種類更是豐富多樣。傳統上紅豆餅的餡料以紅豆、卡士達奶油、芋頭、花生、地瓜、芝麻等甜餡為主。但鹹餡如蘿蔔乾、蘿蔔絲、鮪魚、高麗菜、咖哩、酸菜等在台灣亦受到一般民眾的歡迎，這是在日本比較少見的。

另外，隨著紅豆餅文化的發達，也出現許多融合西式、日式風格的餡料如抹茶、巧克力、青醬鮪魚、奶油玉米甚至是起司披薩等口味。而在餡料中加入麻薯則是近年來流行的作風。

Braised pork rice滷肉飯

Braised pork rice, one of Taiwan's snacks.

Braised pork rice in the northern and southern Taiwan have different meanings.

In northern Taiwan, braised pork rice topped with cooked minced as a pork (ground pork) and soy sauce to the rice dishes,sometimes there will be the sauce ingredients, including mushrooms, etc.

"Braised pork rice " in southern Taiwan is the Hong pork with stewed pork meat with rice.

Like many Taiwanese snacks, as in the store sold all over Taiwan have braised pork rice.

滷肉飯，又被稱為魯肉飯，台灣小吃之一。滷肉飯在台灣南北有不同的意義。

在台灣北部，滷肉飯為一種淋上含有煮熟碎豬肉（豬絞肉）及醬油滷汁的白飯的料理，有時醬汁裡亦會有香菇丁等的成份在內，與焢肉飯不同，而此種作法在台灣南部稱作「肉燥飯」；「滷肉飯」在台灣南部是指有著滷豬三層肉的焢肉飯。

如同許多的台灣小吃一樣，在全臺各地都有店家販售滷肉飯。

Douhua豆花

Douhua (Chinese: 豆花) or dòufuhuā (Chinese: 豆腐花) is a Chinese dessert made with very soft tofu. It is also referred to as tofu pudding.

Northern Chinese cuisine
In northern China, douhua is often eaten with soy sauce, thus resulting in a savory flavor. Northern Chinese often refer to douhua as doufunao (Chinese: 豆腐腦; pinyin: dòufunǎo; literally "tofu brains").

Sichuan cuisine

Douhua in Sichuan is often made without any sugar at all, then served by carrying-pole or bicycle vendors with a number of condiments such as chili oil, soy sauce, Sichuan pepper, scallions, and nuts, and is sometimes eaten along with white rice as well.

Hubei cuisine

Douhua is served with sugar and only sugar in Hubei. It is referred to as either doufunao (Chinese: 豆腐腦) or doufuhua (Chinese: 豆腐花).

Taiwanese cuisine

In Taiwanese cuisine, douhua is served with sweet toppings like cooked peanuts, adzuki beans, cooked oatmeal, tapioca, mung beans, and a syrup flavored with ginger or almond. During the summer, douhua is served with crushed ice; in the winter, it is served warm.

豆花，全名豆腐花，又稱豆腐腦或豆凍，晉語稱作老豆腐，（註：官話中老豆腐指北豆腐），是由黃豆漿凝固後形成的中式食品。不過豆花比豆腐更加嫩軟，在嶺南通常加入糖水食用。中國北方稱豆花為豆腐腦（兒），但北方豆腐腦多半為鹹辛味，使用鹽鹵凝固，南方及晉語區則多使用石膏。

由來

豆花的由來眾說紛紜，但傳說常與漢淮南王劉安有關，至少有三種不同說法：

1. 劉安求長生不老之藥，在煉丹時以黃豆漿培育丹苗，豆汁偶與石膏相遇，形成豆腐。
2. 劉安由洪水後、在濕鹹地中泡軟的黃豆，製出豆腐。
3. 劉安為臥居病榻的母親備餐，將黃豆漿與漢醫所與的食用石膏混合而製成。

無論孰為正確，可肯定的是「豆腐之法，始於漢淮南王劉安」，此有《本草綱目》為佐證；而豆花與豆腐本是同源發現的，後來隨著料理的不同才漸為分歧。

種類

豆花主要分為甜、鹹兩種吃法。一般來說，甜食主要分佈於華南、香港及台灣，後者則為中國北方。

甜

台灣、香港、澳門、馬來西亞、廣東、福建等地區通常加入糖水或黑糖水食用，或者黃糖都可以。夏天通常將豆花放涼了吃，冬天則加入熱糖水食用，有人為了驅寒還會在糖水中加入薑汁或是為了口感加入綠豆、紅豆、各色水果或是湯圓一起食用。
比較特別的有豆漿豆花－將糖水改成豆漿。更新穎的食法會加上巧克力糖漿、滿天星製成的「巧克力豆花」、配以芝麻糊的「黑白」或加入水果汁例如芒果汁的「芒果豆腐花」。
除了從湯汁下手外，台灣亦有將豆花本體摻入其他口味如雞蛋、巧克力等的豆花，加上原本白淨的黃豆花，就成了三色豆花。

鹹

北方豆腐腦就調味來說大體有兩種形式： 一種為豆腐腦中加入「鹵」，一種是僅用作料調製。 還有每碗分開上籠蒸的蒸腦。
鹵漿中一般用澱粉勾得，內加黃花菜、毛木耳、海帶絲、紫菜等等。
調製類則一般調入醬油、醋、韭菜花、蒜泥、蔥花、蝦皮、花生末、香菜等等，據地域及個人口味變化極多。
喜食辣味的地區，如陝西、山西南部等地往往加入油潑辣子作為調味。

原料

豆花原料很容易得到，僅有黃豆、水及凝固劑三種。又由於臺灣產黃豆汁液較少，故台灣豆花用豆多半由美國及巴西進口。水的多寡是影響濃淡要素；而凝固劑常為石膏、鹽鹵，還有人使用海菜粉。通常台灣及華南使用石膏故豆花較軟，北方則相反。

Lou mei滷味

Lou mei is the name given to dishes made by simmering in a seasoned soy-based sauce. Often, lou mei is made from internal organs, entrails and left-over parts of animals. It is grouped under the heading siu laap (燒臘) as part of Cantonese cuisine. The most common animals involved are cattle, pigs, duck and chicken. It is widely available in Southern Chinese regions. Selections vary greatly among overseas Chinatowns, and some restaurants do not offer lou mei at all.

Cultural acceptance

Many people who consume Cantonese dishes regularly are not interested in eating lou mei.^{[citation needed]} Like processed meats, lou mei is a cheap way for butchers to use every part of the animal that can be eaten and is readily available in night markets and at roadside stalls.

滷味指的是用「滷」這種烹調方式料理過的食物，在台灣有分：

1. 冷的滷味：以前菜市場常見就是滷完放冷販賣，等要時用時再切備，淋上熱滷汁食用，在北部的大溪滷味即是加入酸菜調味料。
2. 熱的滷味：將食材(豬肉、蛋、豆乾)放入鍋內用醬油滷完撈起，然後直接食用。加熱食材範圍相當廣泛，鴨血、黑輪、雞翅、高麗菜、冬粉、豬血糕、雞皮、花椰菜、四季豆、香菇、秀珍菇、青椒、玉米筍、雞胗、凍豆腐、豆乾、雞心、雞屁股、雞脖子、鴨舌、雞腸、豆皮都可以做成滷味。

由於滷味份量可以自行斟酌，成為許多人宵夜的選擇。

在台灣大部分的鄉鎮都看得到滷味攤販，夜市也大都有擺設滷味攤，可說是相當常見的食物；甚至擴展成店面永久經營；如最近的大滷桶滷味。而在香港，滷味以潮州滷味店為主，售賣的通常只有以滷水製的鴨鵝（包括其內臟）及豆腐等而已，但也有一些街頭滷味檔售賣滷味小食。

Taiwan Beer台灣啤酒

Taiwan Beer (台灣啤酒, Táiwān Píjǐu, or 台啤, TáiPí) is brewed by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL, 台灣菸酒公司). The brand, an icon of Taiwanese culture, began as a monopoly product but has remained the best-selling beer on the island in the era of free trade.

History

The company today known as TTL had its origins in a government agency established by Taiwan's Japanese rulers in 1901. The Monopoly Bureau of the Taiwan Governor's Office was responsible for all liquor and tobacco products sold in Taiwan as well as opium, salt, and camphor.

In 1922 the Monopoly Bureau began brewing Takasago Beer through the Takasago Malted Beer Company. Light and dark varieties were produced. The price of Takasago Beer varied widely over the course of its manufacture, depending on the availability of imported Japanese beers in Taiwan and on the contingencies of the economy. As World War II reached its conclusion in the 1940s, matches, petroleum, and standard weights and measures also came under the Monopoly Bureau's authority.

After the end of World War II the incoming Chinese Nationalists preserved the monopoly system for alcohol and tobacco. Production of beer was assigned in 1945 to the Taiwan Provincial Monopoly Bureau. The name Taiwan Beer was adopted in 1946.The following year, production of the beer was assigned to the Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau.

In the 1960s locally produced ponlai rice ("Formosa rice" 蓬萊米) was added to the fermentation process, resulting in the distinctive local flavour for which the beer is known today.

Taiwan entered its modern period of pluralistic democracy in the 1990s. Free trade and open markets became priorities as Taiwan prepared for admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002. Laws went into force that year that opened Taiwan's market to competing products. On 2002-07-01 the Monopoly Bureau passed into history. Its successor, the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation (TTL, 台灣菸酒公司), is a publicly owned company that competes in the marketplace. TTL introduced a new brew, Taiwan Beer Gold Medal, by the end of its first year and has since introduced three more brews: Taiwan Beer Draft (another lager, for sale in restaurants) and two malt beers under the Mine label (Amber and Dark).

Taiwan Beer remains the island's best-selling beer brand and is one of the most recognized brands in Taiwan's business world.

Taiwan Beer is an amber lager beer with a distinct taste produced by the addition of locally produced ponlai rice ("Formosa rice" 蓬萊米) during the fermentation process. The beer is served cold and recognized as an especially suitable complement to Taiwanese and Japanese cuisine, especially seafood dishes such as sushi and sashimi. Taiwan Beer has won international awards, including the International Monde Selection in 1977 and the Brewing Industry International Awards in 2002.

台灣啤酒，簡稱台啤，是由台灣菸酒股份有限公司（前身為台灣省菸酒公賣局）所發售的啤酒品牌，原名「高砂麥酒」，1945年改名為「台灣啤酒」，是台灣最受歡迎的啤酒品牌之一。

台啤最早是在台灣日治時期1920年由在台北的「高砂麥酒株式會社」首釀，二戰結束後由當時新成立的台灣菸酒公賣局接收並改為「台北第二酒廠」，之後於1975年又更名為「建國啤酒廠」。
此外台啤贏得過數個國際獎項，包括了1977年的the International Monde Selection，還有2002年的the Brewing Industry International Awards。

雖然積極於外銷，但是除了台灣和海外台灣人社群外，台啤的能見度不高。又近年來因洋酒攻佔市場，台啤形象又過於老氣，故進行一連串更新運動：例如旗下的籃球隊命名為台灣啤酒隊、由年輕歌手代言主題曲等。
台啤獨特的風味來自釀造過程添加的蓬萊米。飲用方式通常是冰過後搭配台灣小吃。

Du-xiao-yue noodle soup度小月擔仔麵

Du-xiao-yue noodle soup is a kind of snack originated in Tainan, Taiwan.

Origin

Du-xiao-yue noodle soup is the legend began between the late Qing dynasty in 1895.

The founder was Hong- yu- tou in Tainan, Taiwan.

During Ching Ming Festival and July to September in summer typhoons often intrusive Tainan area.Fishermen Hong- yu- tou sold noodle soup during the typhoon season and there is a lantern written “Du-xiao-yue” until now.

Authentic century-old store is located Chung Cheng road in Tainan City.The main ingredients of Du-xiao-yue noodle soup are noodles, rice noodles, bean sprouts, coriander, shrimp, a little ground-pork soup, and unique offerings. Du-xiao-yue noodle soup is usually slightly more expensive, less weight, complex manufacturing process.

擔仔麵是一種發源於臺灣臺南的小吃。「擔仔」即臺灣話（閩南語）「挑肩擔」之意。

擔仔麵發源時間相傳為清末光緒年間，創始者為臺南的洪芋頭。臺南清明時節與夏季七至九月份時常有颱風侵擾，風雨交加導致不易出海捕魚，故漁家生計頓時艱困，因此稱颱風來襲頻繁、生計維持不易的月份為「小月」。以捕魚為業的洪芋頭在無法出海捕魚時候，常於臺南市水仙宮廟前叫賣麵食以維持生計、度過小月，並自名「度小月擔仔麵」，書寫在攤前所吊的燈籠上。

度小月擔仔麵開設於1895年，現今在臺南地區有許多店家，正宗百年老店位於臺南市中正路上，這道麵食的主要成份為：麵條、米粉、豆芽菜、香菜、蝦仁、少許湯汁以及獨門肉燥。擔仔麵通常略貴、量少、製造過程繁雜，是所謂「食巧不食飽」（臺灣俗諺：吃得精緻而不吃飽）的點心而非正餐。

Ba-wan肉圓(Taiwanese Meatballs)

Ba-wan (traditional Chinese: 肉圓; pinyin: roù yuán; Wade–Giles: jou⁴-yüan²; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bah-ôan; literally "meat circle") is a Taiwanese snack food, consisting of a 6-8 cm diameter disk-shaped translucent dough filled with a savory stuffing and served with a sweet and savory sauce. The stuffing varies widely according to different regions in Taiwan, but usually consists of a mixture of pork, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms. Changhua-style ba-wan is considered to be the "standard" ba-wan as it is the most famous and most widely imitated of all styles of ba-wan.

The gelatinous dough is made of a combination of corn starch, sweet potato starch, and rice flour, which gives it its chewy, sticky, and gelatinous texture and a greyish translucent hue. Ba-wan are initially cooked by steaming; however, they may also be served after being deep fried to give them a "skin" or gently poached in oil to heat them without drying them out.

History

It is believed that ba-wan were first prepared in the Beidou township of Taiwan by a student by the name Fàn Wànjū (范萬居) as food for disaster relief during the late Qing dynasty (1644 – 1912), when the Beidou region was struck by heavy floods. Since then, ba-wan had spread to different regions of Taiwan and is now considered by many as a national food.

肉圓是一種台灣的特色小吃，名稱得自於外觀，一般為直徑6~8公分左右的半透明扁圓形，是一種以地瓜粉、太白粉等材料作成的半透明肉圓皮包裹豬肉與其他配料的食品。

發源

相傳肉圓是在北斗地區的寺廟擔任文筆生的范萬居先生所創，經過第二代范媽意以扁擔沿街叫賣，再由第三代范龍生研發創新，現由第四代傳人范振森(北斗肉圓生)及范振忠(范氏肉圓生)經營，達百年歷史。當時北斗地區發生水災，范萬居將地瓜曬乾，磨成粉後揉成團狀，再煮熟給災民食用，並未包肉。
後來又經過改良，加入豬肉、筍子等配料，逐漸發展成現今為人所熟知的肉圓，並且流傳到台灣各地，也產生了各地不同用料與做法的特色肉圓。

各地特色

比較有名的幾種肉圓有彰化肉圓、北斗肉圓、新竹肉圓、台中肉圓、埔里肉圓、台南肉圓、高雄肉圓、屏東肉圓、紅糟肉圓等等，實物的大小與使用材料都有頗多差異，但是調理方式多為以油加溫（並非炸）或蒸，亦或兩者並用，食用時會同時淋上甜與鹹兩種醬汁和少許蒜泥、芫荽，是台灣的庶民小吃。

肉圓的名稱在台灣也有地區差異，如有的地方把肉圓叫做「肉丸」。在鹿港，肉圓則是稱為「肉回」，這是由於肉圓的組成是由肉圓皮包著裡面的肉塊，形狀很像「回」這個字；此外，肉圓起鍋時，調理者會用叉子把肉圓上的油撥回油鍋，因此得名。

彰化肉圓

彰化肉圓是台灣彰化縣的特產，相傳是由位於彰化市的一名肉圓攤業者吳許水桃所創。肉圓外皮多以甘薯粉製作，內餡視各家口味不同而有差異，但多數店家用豬後腿肉製成的絞肉，佐以香菇為主。調理方法先將肉圓連同容器放入蒸籠蒸熟，固定外型，待食用時，再油炸而成。

新竹肉圓

外皮特色是皮有透明感且有咬勁，主要以在來米的米漿佐以蕃薯粉跟太白粉製成。它另外一項更為顯著的特色就是內餡以紅糟調味，豬肉餡料佐以紅糟、糖跟醬油，再加上剁碎的青蔥，就是新竹肉圓的基本餡料。調理時會將餡料包入米漿中，然後先蒸再炸，起鍋後佐以醬油、辣椒醬等調味，是新竹居民平日常吃的小吃之一。

北斗肉圓

北斗肉圓跟彰化肉圓最大的不同在於外觀與內餡。兩者的料理方式一樣是油炸，但北斗肉圓外型較小，為三角形；且內餡只使用竹筍及豬肉。製作過程完全手工，先捏出外觀近似寶島形狀後，以高溫蒸氣蒸熟後即可食用，再經過油炸後口感更佳。

屏東肉圓

起源於屏東而得名，並且與其他肉圓的做法有些不同，因此聞名。
屏東肉圓是台灣最早以「蒸」的方式調理的肉圓，內餡以生豬肉加上其他調味料，外皮則以在來米漿和地瓜粉揉成圓狀，再送入蒸籠裡蒸熟，再淋上甜鹹醬即可食用。一般會習慣吃完後用殘汁殘肉再去盛清湯來喝。