Pineapple Cake

Pineapple Cake (Simplified Chinese: 凤梨酥; Traditional Chinese: 鳳梨酥; Pinyin: Fènglí sū) is a Taiwanese pastry of crumbly, buttery shortcake enclosing a cooked pineapple (or pineapple–winter melon) jam filling. It is a leading gift and airport souvenir of Taiwan. It is not the same item as Hong Kong Pineapple Bun, which is a soft bun topped with a crackly cookie crust and usually contains no pineapple.

Characteristics

Bite-sized rectangular or square cakes; crust is sandy-tender; filling is sticky-sweet and tangy. Packaging is often gift-box oriented. Modern brands vary jam recipes and crust richness.

Ingredients (overview)

Butter, flour, egg, sugar for the crust; pineapple (often with winter melon for texture/cost) cooked down with sugar for the filling.

History and culture

Twentieth-century Taiwan bakery development turned pineapple filling into a national souvenir icon listed with other Taiwanese sweets culture on Taiwan Food. Distinct branding from Cantonese bakery Pineapple Bun on Hong Kong Food.

Serving and variations

Tea snack or gift. See Taiwan Food and Pineapple Bun for the naming contrast.

See also

• Taiwan Food
• Pineapple Bun
• Mooncake
• Wife Cake
• Egg Tart
• List of dishes (A-Z)