Have you ever had a Hakka-flavor pizza? A renowned baker has launched a new line of baked goods in Hakka flavors, from Hakka stir-fry pizza, to buns with lei cha tea filling. If you''re not familiar with the venerable traditions of Hakka food culture, this could be your chance to discover a whole new universe of Taiwanese cuisine.

Golden sesame paste and white mochi ooze from a bun as soon as you open it. Meanwhile this bun is full of Hakka lei cha and black sugar mochi, a squidgy delight. And you can get a Hakka stir-fry, in a bowl or as you’ve never seen it before – on a pizza.

These are the creations of master baker Wu Pao-chun. The Hakka Affairs Council wants to encourage a Hakka cultural renaissance, and he’s playing his part by finding ways to bake Hakka flavors into bread.

Wu Pao-chun
Master baker
As bakers, we don’t understand flavors, so the chefs helped us design this, the ingredients for the stir-fry on top, and the seasonings. Then we brought in our bread. In the past I used bread to interpret the world. Now I’m using bread to interpret Taiwan and Hakka culture.

With a star team, Wu is venturing into new territory for bakers. The Hakka bread series is a fresh take on Hakka cuisine, and it’s won the nod of approval from the former head of Taipei’s Hakka Affairs Commission, Chung Yung-feng.

Chung Yung-feng
Poet
There is a considerable distance between Hakka people and bread. It’s a group that bases its diet on rice. It might make you want to go and visit Hakka people in the mountains of Miaoli, in Meinung, or in Pingtung. Trying this bread can inspire you to get curious about a different kind of travel. I think this is the most interesting thing about food concepts.

The Hakka people are the second largest ethnic group in Taiwan. Now thanks to this baker’s ingenuity, you can try out the traditions of Hakka cuisine paired with Western baked goods.