{"id":47402,"date":"2025-10-13T20:32:15","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T12:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/?p=47402"},"modified":"2026-09-22T18:06:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T10:06:59","slug":"market-vogue-extra-ep2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-extra-ep2\/","title":{"rendered":"The 3 Door Market Walk [Side Feature II] The Alchemy of Sweetness in Tainan, with a Philosophical Reflection"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- Schema Markup (SEO \u7d50\u69cb\u5316\u8cc7\u6599) --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n[\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"Article\",\n    \"headline\": \"The Alchemy of Sweetness in Tainan: Why Is Tainan Food So Sweet? Decoding the Old City\u2019s Sugar History and a Trilogy of Sweet Philosophy\",\n    \"description\": \"Why do Tainan people love sweetness? This is not merely taste but a historical memory of sugar as white gold. From gift of nature to old method to balance, 3 Door Hotel decodes this alchemy of the palate.\",\n    \"author\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Person\",\n      \"name\": \"An editor devoted to the lanes of Tainan - 3 Door Hotel\"\n    },\n    \"publisher\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n      \"name\": \"3 Door Hotel Market Vogue\",\n      \"logo\": {\n        \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n        \"url\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/3logo_index.svg\"\n      }\n    },\n    \"datePublished\": \"2025-10-15\",\n    \"dateModified\": \"2025-12-02\",\n    \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n      \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/market-vogue-extra-ep2\/\"\n    }\n  },\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"LocalBusiness\",\n    \"name\": \"3 Door Hotel\",\n    \"url\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\",\n    \"telephone\": \"+886-6-222-3088\",\n    \"address\": {\n      \"@type\": \"PostalAddress\",\n      \"streetAddress\": \"No. 77 Chenggong Road\",\n      \"addressLocality\": \"West Central District, Tainan\",\n      \"addressCountry\": \"TW\"\n    }\n  },\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"AudioObject\",\n    \"name\": \"The alchemy of sweetness in Tainan: decoding the old city\u2019s trilogy of gift, method and balance\",\n    \"description\": \"Episode 2 of the 3 Door Hotel Market Vogue side series goes into the field in Tainan markets, examining sugar history and the philosophy of sweetness in cooking, from the charcoal-cooked syrup at Xiuan douhua to the peanut sugar of Jinde spring rolls.\",\n    \"contentUrl\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u53f0\u5357\u751c\u7684\u7149\u91d1\u8853\uff1a\u89e3\u78bc\u5e9c\u57ce\u4e09\u90e8\u66f2\u300c\u5929\u8cdc\u3001\u53e4\u6cd5\u3001\u5e73\u8861\u300d\u7684\u751c\u871c\u54f2\u5b78-online-audio-converter.com_.mp3\",\n    \"encodingFormat\": \"audio\/mpeg\",\n    \"duration\": \"PT15M30S\",\n    \"uploadDate\": \"2025-10-15\",\n    \"publisher\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n      \"name\": \"3 Door Hotel Market Vogue\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\"\n    }\n  },\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n    \"mainEntity\": [\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"Why is Tainan food so sweet?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n          \"text\": \"There is deep history behind it. In the age of maritime trade in the 17th century, Tainan was a trading hub and cane sugar was a symbol of wealth; adding sugar to a dish was a gesture of the host\u2019s hospitality and prosperity. Tainan was also the centre of Taiwan\u2019s sugar industry, and cooks worked like alchemists, boldly folding sugar into their cooking. That devotion to sweetness has crossed three hundred years to become the most distinctive mark of the old city\u2019s food culture today.\"\n        }\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"Which dishes best represent sweetness in Tainan?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n          \"text\": \"The three great representatives correspond to the trilogy of alchemy. The sweetness given by nature is represented by fine fruit at Dongcai Market such as Guanmiao pineapple and Yujing mango; the sweetness of the old method by the charcoal-cooked handmade syrup at Xiuan douhua in Yongle Market; and the sweetness of balance by the peanut sugar in Jinde spring rolls at Yongle and the sugar-smoked braised foods of Songcun at Yamuliao, which embody the highest fusion of sweet and savoury.\"\n        }\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"How is Tainan sweetness different from sweetness elsewhere?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n          \"text\": \"Tainan sweetness is not simply added sugar but a sweetness of balance. It works like a gentle filter, softening every sharp edge of flavour in a savoury dish and leaving only the fullest, deepest foundation. The Taiwanese saying that eating something sweet brings you great fortune also reflects a cultural root in which Tainan people see sweetness as a blessing and a philosophy of getting along - a flavour with social meaning rather than mere seasoning.\"\n        }\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"What is Tainan pengbing, and what makes it special?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n          \"text\": \"Pengbing is a traditional Tainan pastry with a crisp shell, a hollow centre and brown sugar inside. In Tainan folk tradition, frying that brown sugar in sesame oil and cracking an egg into it was an old restorative remedy said to build energy and settle the mind. Pengbing can still be bought at century-old bakeries in Dongcai Market, making it the most direct taste of Tainan\u2019s sociology of sweetness.\"\n        }\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"How should I plan a sweet-food journey through Tainan?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n          \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n          \"text\": \"We suggest basing yourself at 3 Door Hotel (No. 77 Chenggong Road, West Central District, Tainan) and linking on foot the three sweet destinations of Dongcai Market (fruit and pengbing), Yongle Market (Xiuan douhua and Jinde spring rolls) and Shuixian Temple Market (glutinous rice and sweet soups). Add the sugar-smoked braised foods of Songcun at Yamuliao Market and you will have experienced the whole trilogy of sweet alchemy.\"\n        }\n      }\n    ]\n  }\n]\n<\/script><\/p>\n<article style=\"font-family: 'Microsoft JhengHei', sans-serif; line-height: 1.8; color: #333; max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto;\"><!-- Header \u5340\u584a --><\/p>\n<header style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 50px; padding-bottom: 20px; border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #c2185b; color: #fff; padding: 4px 12px; font-size: 0.85em; letter-spacing: 1px; margin-bottom: 15px; text-transform: uppercase;\">Market Vogue Extra Vol.2<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.9em; color: #888; margin-bottom: 5px;\">[3 Door Hotel Online Magazine] The Market Walk<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"font-size: 2.2em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 15px; line-height: 1.3;\">The alchemy of sweetness in Tainan (with a philosophical reflection on sweetness)<\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: 400; color: #666; margin-top: 0;\">Decoding the old city&#8217;s trilogy of gift, method and balance<\/h2>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 20px;\"><strong>Written by an editor devoted to the lanes of Tainan<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<p><!-- 2025 \u7e3d\u7de8\u4fee\u8a02\u7248\u524d\u8a00 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #fff5f5; border-left: 5px solid #d63384; padding: 25px; margin-bottom: 40px;\">\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 0; color: #c2185b; font-size: 1.3em;\">[Editor&#8217;s revised preface, 2025] The soul of sweetness: this is not seasoning but Tainan&#8217;s taste memory of prosperity<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #555;\">By the MARKET VOGUE editorial team, 3 Door Hotel<\/p>\n<p>Visitors often ask: why is even the air in Tainan sweet? This piece is our answer, drawn from history.<\/p>\n<p>Sugar was once called white gold, an exceedingly precious commodity. As the centre of the sugar trade, Tainan&#8217;s cooks worked like alchemists, boldly adding sugar to their dishes \u2014 not only for flavour but to display the host&#8217;s warmth and prosperity. That devotion to sweetness grows from the same commitment we saw in the century-old dried goods shops of <a style=\"color: #c2185b; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-ep1-east-market\/\">Dongcai Market<\/a> .<\/p>\n<p>If you want to understand how this sweetness reaches balance with freshness at the table, do read our sequel:<a style=\"color: #c2185b; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-ep5-taste-spectrum\/\">[Side Feature V: the Tainan spectrum of taste]<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2025, let us taste this sweetness afresh. It is not cloying; it is the lingering resonance of a century of prosperity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Podcast \u5340\u584a --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #1a1a1a; border-radius: 8px; padding: 28px 30px; margin: 0 0 50px 0;\">\n<p style=\"color: #c2185b; font-size: 0.85em; letter-spacing: 2px; text-transform: uppercase; margin: 0 0 8px 0;\">\ud83c\udf99 Market Vogue Podcast<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #fff; font-size: 1.1em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0 0 8px 0;\">Side EP2 | The alchemy of sweetness in Tainan: decoding the old city&#8217;s trilogy of gift, method and balance<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #aaa; font-size: 0.95em; margin: 0 0 16px 0;\">A piece of fieldwork in sound, offered to everyone curious about sweetness. You will hear the echo of history, the commitment of craftspeople, and a three-hundred-year conversation between a city and sugar.<\/p>\n<p><audio style=\"width: 100%; accent-color: #c2185b;\" controls=\"controls\"><source src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u53f0\u5357\u751c\u7684\u7149\u91d1\u8853\uff1a\u89e3\u78bc\u5e9c\u57ce\u4e09\u90e8\u66f2\u300c\u5929\u8cdc\u3001\u53e4\u6cd5\u3001\u5e73\u8861\u300d\u7684\u751c\u871c\u54f2\u5b78-online-audio-converter.com_.mp3\" type=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><\/audio><\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #888; font-size: 0.82em; margin: 10px 0 0 0;\">Running time: 15 min 30 sec | A deep audio record of sugar as white gold and the old city&#8217;s sweet memory \ud83c\udf6c<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u5e8f\u8a00 --><\/p>\n<section>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: #c2185b; margin-top: 40px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #d4af37;\">Preface: tracing sweetness back, beginning with a bowl of mackerel thick soup<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 8px; margin: 20px 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u7fb9\u6e6f\u88e1\u7684\u5fae\u7e2e\u5b87\u5b99-800x601.png\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u571f\u9b60\u9b5a\u7fb9\u6e6f\u88e1\u7684\u5fae\u7e2e\u5b87\u5b99\u63d2\u756b\uff0c\u5e9c\u57ce\u751c\u5473\u6599\u7406\u6b77\u53f2\u6eaf\u6e90\u8996\u89ba\" \/><\/p>\n<p>That day I ordered a bowl of Tainan mackerel thick soup. As the first mouthful of mellow, faintly sweet broth slid down, my friend from Taipei wore exactly the expression I had expected, part surprise and part confusion. He asked: how can a thick soup be sweet?<\/p>\n<p>The question is simple, and also the most complicated of all.<\/p>\n<p>To answer it we cannot talk only about recipes; we must go back three hundred years to the cane fields, and to the eyes of a grandmother boiling sugar in the market. I am your guide and flavour decoder at 3 Door Hotel. Today, let us trace this sweetness together, and read from the clamour of the market the gentle, proud soul of a great city built on crystallised sugar.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u751c\u871c\u7149\u91d1\u4e09\u90e8\u66f2 --><\/p>\n<section>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: #c2185b; margin-top: 60px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #d4af37;\">The trilogy of sweet alchemy: decoding the flavour magic of the market<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 8px; margin: 20px 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u7149\u91d1\u8853\u5e2b\u7684\u9b54\u6cd5\u66f8\u684c-800x601.png\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u751c\u871c\u7149\u91d1\u8853\u5e2b\u9b54\u6cd5\u66f8\u684c\u63d2\u756b\uff0c\u5e9c\u57ce\u7cd6\u696d\u6b77\u53f2\u8207\u6599\u7406\u54f2\u5b78\u4e09\u90e8\u66f2\u8996\u89ba\" \/><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"font-size: 1.2em; color: #880e4f; margin-top: 30px; font-weight: bold;\">[Part one: the foundation \u2014 the sweetness nature gives]<\/h4>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 8px; margin: 15px 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u6771\u83dc\u5e02\u6c34\u679c\u6524-800x508.jpg\" alt=\"\u6771\u83dc\u5e02\u9ad8\u7d1a\u6c34\u679c\u6524\uff0c\u95dc\u5edf\u9cf3\u68a8\u7389\u4e95\u8292\u679c\u7b49\u53f0\u5357\u5728\u5730\u6642\u4ee4\u6c34\u679c\u5929\u8cdc\u751c\u5473\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Image credit: Dongcai Market&#8217;s Google business photos<\/p>\n<p><strong>Flavour sample:<\/strong>the fine fruit stalls<strong>of Dongcai Market<\/strong>(Guanmiao pineapple, Yujing mango and the like).<\/p>\n<p>Every great flavour begins with the purest raw material. The firm foundation of Tainan&#8217;s alchemy of sweetness is the ungrudging gift of this land. With the fertile soil of the Chianan Plain and abundant southern sunshine, Tainan has long been a bountiful home of fruit. Walk into<strong>Dongcai Market (<a style=\"color: #c2185b;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-ep1-east-market\/\">revisit it here<\/a>)<\/strong>and look at the seasonal fruit piled high, saturated in colour and fragrant, and you will understand what the sweetness nature gives really means.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"background-color: #fff0f5; border-left: 5px solid #ec407a; padding: 20px; margin: 20px 0; font-style: italic;\"><p><strong>\ud83d\udccc The editor&#8217;s view:<\/strong>The sweetness nature gives reminds us that all artificial seasoning is ultimately an attempt to imitate or set off the perfection of nature. In Tainan you can taste what that perfection actually is.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4 style=\"font-size: 1.2em; color: #880e4f; margin-top: 40px; font-weight: bold;\">[Part two: transformation \u2014 the sweetness of the old method]<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Flavour sample:<\/strong>Yongle Market<strong>Xiuan Biandan Douhua&#8217;s<\/strong>charcoal-cooked syrup.<\/p>\n<p>But if Tainan&#8217;s sweetness stopped there, it would only be natural abundance and could not be called alchemy. The real magic begins at the second stage: transformation. Approach Xiuan douhua at<strong>Yongle Market (<a style=\"color: #c2185b;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/yongle-market-walk\/\">revisit it here<\/a>)<\/strong>) and you will catch a faint scorched fragrance in the air \u2014 evidence that the shop still stir-fries sugar by hand over charcoal until it caramelises, then simmers it slowly for hours.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"background-color: #fff0f5; border-left: 5px solid #ec407a; padding: 20px; margin: 20px 0; font-style: italic;\"><p><strong>\ud83d\udccc The editor&#8217;s view:<\/strong>Tasting this sweetness of the old method, what you taste is not only sugar but the focus and patience of someone who has done this the same way for decades. It is a flavour that cannot be hurried, and the most direct taste of the old city&#8217;s unhurried pace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h4 style=\"font-size: 1.2em; color: #880e4f; margin-top: 40px; font-weight: bold;\">[Part three: fusion \u2014 the sweetness of balance]<\/h4>\n<p><strong>Flavour sample:<\/strong>Yongle Market<strong>Jinde Spring Rolls&#8217;<\/strong>peanut sugar.<\/p>\n<p>The highest form of alchemy is to bring apparently opposed elements into harmony and create a new golden ratio. At the Tainan table this craft is displayed to the full. To understand this sweetness we must wind time back to the age of maritime trade in the 17th century. As a trading hub, Tainan knew cane sugar as a symbol of wealth, and adding sugar to a dish was a gesture of prosperity and hospitality.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"background-color: #fff0f5; border-left: 5px solid #ec407a; padding: 20px; margin: 20px 0; font-style: italic;\"><p><strong>\ud83d\udccc The editor&#8217;s view:<\/strong>What makes Tainan&#8217;s savoury food so complex and compelling is exactly that barely-there sweetness. It works like a gentle filter, softening every sharp edge of flavour and leaving only the fullest, deepest foundation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u751c\u7684\u793e\u6703\u5b78 --><\/p>\n<section>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: #c2185b; margin-top: 60px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #d4af37;\">The sociology of sweetness: the human world behind a spoonful of sugar<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 8px; margin: 20px 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u8a18\u61b6\u7684\u7cd6\u679c\u7f50-800x601.png\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u8a18\u61b6\u7684\u7cd6\u679c\u7f50\u63d2\u756b\uff0c\u5e9c\u57ce\u751c\u5473\u6587\u5316\u8207\u4eba\u60c5\u4e16\u6545\u793e\u6703\u5b78\u8996\u89ba\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Having taken the flavour apart, we should also ask what role sweetness has played in Tainan&#8217;s society and culture. It has never lived only on the tongue, but in people&#8217;s hearts.<\/p>\n<p>First, sweetness is a blessing and a philosophy of getting along. A Taiwanese saying has it that eating something sweet brings great fortune, and that value \u2014 that a sweet manner earns affection \u2014 extends to the table as well. Sweetness in a dish is a gentleness that hopes everyone will eat happily and leave content.<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; gap: 20px; margin: 30px 0; background-color: #fff9c4; padding: 20px; border-radius: 8px;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 150px; height: 150px; object-fit: cover; border-radius: 50%;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20221222184023-c159fe32.jpg\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u6771\u83dc\u5e02\u50b3\u7d71\u9ed1\u7cd6\u692a\u9905\uff0c\u53e4\u65e9\u88dc\u6c23\u5b89\u795e\u98df\u88dc\u79d8\u65b9\u7684\u5e9c\u57ce\u7cd5\u9905\u4ee3\u8868\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<h4 style=\"margin-top: 0; color: #f57f17;\">\ud83d\udc75 [A pengbing in the market]<\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.95em;\">I once watched an elderly woman carefully choosing a pengbing at a bakery in Dongcai Market. She told me it was not for herself. Her grandson works in Taipei, under great pressure and never sleeping well. She had heard that frying the brown sugar inside a pengbing in sesame oil and cracking an egg into it was an old remedy to build energy and settle the mind.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.95em; margin: 0;\"><strong>&#8220;Whether he&#8217;ll eat it, I really don&#8217;t know. But once something sweet goes down, the heart feels lighter!&#8221;<\/strong>She laughed as she said it, and the lines at the corners of her eyes deepened.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u4e3b\u7de8\u7684\u601d\u8fa8 --><\/p>\n<section>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: #c2185b; margin-top: 60px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #d4af37;\">The editor reflects: what changes and what endures in Tainan sweetness today<\/h3>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 8px; margin: 20px 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/\u7149\u91d1\u8853\u5c0d\u6c7a\u79d1\u6280\u6a39-800x448.png\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u50b3\u7d71\u751c\u5473\u7149\u91d1\u8853\u8207\u7576\u4ee3\u5065\u5eb7\u98f2\u98df\u8da8\u52e2\u5c0d\u6c7a\u79d1\u6280\u6a39\u8996\u89ba\u5716\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Standing here today, though, we cannot avoid asking what challenges traditional Tainan sweetness faces in an age of rising health consciousness.<\/p>\n<p>We have noticed an interesting flexibility. At the Jinde spring roll counter there are now clearly marked options: normal sweetness, half sugar, no sugar. This is a kindness towards visitors, but it also makes us wonder whether such compromise might gradually dilute Tainan&#8217;s distinctive flavour into a standardised one.<\/p>\n<blockquote style=\"background-color: #222; color: #fff; border-left: 5px solid #d4af37; padding: 20px; margin: 30px 0;\"><p><strong>\ud83e\udd14 The final question:<\/strong>As travellers who love this city, should we insist on chasing the most authentic original flavour, or open our arms to these changes that move with the times? Perhaps there is no standard answer \u2014 and the process of exploring is itself the most captivating part of travel.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- FAQ \u5340\u584a --><\/p>\n<section style=\"margin: 50px 0;\">\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: #c2185b; margin-bottom: 25px; padding-left: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #d4af37;\">Frequently asked questions<\/h3>\n<div style=\"border: 1px solid #f8bbd0; border-radius: 6px; margin-bottom: 14px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #fff5f7; padding: 16px 20px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold; color: #333;\">Q | Why is Tainan food so sweet?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 16px 20px; background-color: #fff;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #555; line-height: 1.8;\">It comes from history accumulated since the age of maritime trade in the 17th century. As a trading hub,<strong>cane sugar was a symbol of wealth<\/strong>in Tainan, and adding sugar to a dish was a gesture of the host&#8217;s hospitality and prosperity. That devotion has crossed three hundred years to become the most distinctive mark of the old city&#8217;s food culture today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border: 1px solid #f8bbd0; border-radius: 6px; margin-bottom: 14px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #fff5f7; padding: 16px 20px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold; color: #333;\">Q | Which dishes best represent sweetness in Tainan?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 16px 20px; background-color: #fff;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #555; line-height: 1.8;\">The trilogy&#8217;s representatives:<strong>the sweetness nature gives<\/strong>is represented by Guanmiao pineapple and Yujing mango at Dongcai Market;<strong>the sweetness of the old method<\/strong>by the charcoal-cooked syrup at Xiuan douhua in Yongle Market;<strong>the sweetness of balance<\/strong>by the peanut sugar of Jinde spring rolls and the sugar-smoked braises of Songcun at Yamuliao.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border: 1px solid #f8bbd0; border-radius: 6px; margin-bottom: 14px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #fff5f7; padding: 16px 20px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold; color: #333;\">Q | How is Tainan sweetness different from sweetness elsewhere?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 16px 20px; background-color: #fff;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #555; line-height: 1.8;\">Tainan sweetness is a<strong>the sweetness of balance<\/strong>\u2014 like a gentle filter, softening the sharp edges of flavour in savoury food and leaving only the fullest, deepest foundation. The Taiwanese saying that eating something sweet brings great fortune reflects a cultural root in which Tainan people see sweetness as a blessing and a philosophy of getting along.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border: 1px solid #f8bbd0; border-radius: 6px; margin-bottom: 14px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #fff5f7; padding: 16px 20px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold; color: #333;\">Q | What is Tainan pengbing, and what makes it special?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 16px 20px; background-color: #fff;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #555; line-height: 1.8;\">Pengbing is a traditional Tainan pastry with a crisp shell and a hollow centre containing<strong>brown sugar<\/strong>. Folk tradition holds that frying that sugar in sesame oil and cracking an egg into it is an old restorative remedy for energy and calm. It can still be bought at century-old bakeries in Dongcai Market \u2014 the most direct taste of Tainan&#8217;s sociology of sweetness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"border: 1px solid #f8bbd0; border-radius: 6px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #fff5f7; padding: 16px 20px;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; font-weight: bold; color: #333;\">Q | How should I plan a sweet-food journey through Tainan?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 16px 20px; background-color: #fff;\">\n<p style=\"margin: 0; color: #555; line-height: 1.8;\">Base yourself at 3 Door Hotel and link on foot<strong>Dongcai Market (fruit and pengbing) \u2192 Yongle Market (Xiuan douhua and Jinde spring rolls) \u2192 Shuixian Temple Market (glutinous rice) \u2192 Yamuliao Market (Songcun sugar-smoked braises)<\/strong>for the complete trilogy of sweet alchemy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u7d50\u8a9e --><\/p>\n<footer style=\"margin-top: 60px;\">\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.5em; color: #c2185b; margin-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 15px; border-left: 5px solid #d4af37;\">In closing: a note on choosing where to stay, for the discerning traveller<\/h3>\n<p>Tainan&#8217;s sweetness is a history of a period that you can taste. It is a blessing, a kindness, a consolation, and the character of a city that welcomes its visitors gently.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; border-radius: 8px; margin: 20px 0;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/2O3A9760-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\u4e09\u9053\u9580\u65c5\u5e97\u7a7a\u4e2d\u82b1\u5712\u666f\u89c0\uff0c\u53f0\u5357\u4e2d\u897f\u5340\u8a2d\u8a08\u65c5\u5e97\u751c\u5473\u7149\u91d1\u4e4b\u65c5\u6700\u4f73\u4f11\u61a9\u57fa\u5730\" \/><\/p>\n<p>To complete this journey of sweet alchemy you need the perfect laboratory. 3 Door Hotel is the first choice for many enthusiasts looking for somewhere to stay in Tainan. We offer not only a place to wash away the day&#8217;s tiredness but a willingness to plan the best route to all these sweet destinations with you.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u7d50\u8a9e CTA \u6309\u9215 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin: 35px 0;\"><a style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #c2185b; color: #fff; padding: 14px 32px; border-radius: 4px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 0.5px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.ezhotel.com.tw\/\">Book your place and begin this journey of sweet alchemy \u2192 see our rooms<br \/>\n<\/a><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 600px; height: auto; border-radius: 8px; margin: 20px auto; display: block;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/581A4719-e1749871408235-800x479.jpg\" alt=\"\u4e09\u9053\u9580\u5efa\u7bc9\u6587\u5275\u65c5\u5e97\u5ba2\u623f\u5ba4\u5167\u8a2d\u8a08\uff0c\u53f0\u5357\u4e2d\u897f\u5340\u98a8\u683c\u65c5\u5e97\u751c\u871c\u7f8e\u98df\u4e4b\u65c5\u4f4f\u5bbf\u63a8\u85a6\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!-- Footer \u5c0e\u89bd\u5217 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #333; color: #fff; padding: 40px 20px; text-align: center; margin-top: 50px; border-radius: 8px;\">\n<h4 style=\"color: #ddd;\">\ud83d\udcd6 Further reading: the complete 3 Door Market Walk series<\/h4>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; justify-content: center; gap: 15px; margin-top: 20px;\"><a style=\"color: #d4af37; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #d4af37; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/tag\/market-vogue-en\/\">\ud83d\udcd6 Series overview<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #b83b5e; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgba(184,59,94,0.2);\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/tainan-market-walk\/\">\ud83d\uddfa\ufe0f The complete guide to walking the markets<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-ep1-east-market\/\">EP1 Dongcai Market<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-ep2-shueixian-gong\/\">EP2 Shuixian Temple Market<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/yongle-market-walk\/\">EP3 Yongle Market<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/tainan-west-market\/\">EP4 Ximen Market<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/yamuliao-market-charcoal-fire-time\/\">EP5 Yamuliao Market<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-extra-ep1-breakfast-war\/\">Side I: the breakfast wars<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #c2185b; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px; font-weight: bold;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-extra-ep2\/\">Side II: the alchemy of sweetness<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-extra-ep3\/\">Side III: keeping getting distracted<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-ep4-soundscape\/\">Side IV: the soundscape<\/a><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #ccc; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; border: 1px solid #555; padding: 5px 10px; border-radius: 20px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-ep5-taste-spectrum\/\">Side V: the spectrum of taste<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 30px; font-size: 0.9em; color: #aaa;\">#TainanDesserts #TainanFoodCulture #TainanSugarHistory #WhereToStayInTainan #SlowTravelTainan #MarketVogue<\/p>\n<p><a style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #c2185b; color: #fff; padding: 12px 24px; margin-top: 15px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold; border-radius: 4px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.ezhotel.com.tw\/\">Book your base for sweet alchemy<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Market Vogue Extra Vol.2 [3 Door Hotel Online Magazine] The Market Walk The alchemy of sweetness in Tainan (with a philosophical reflection on sweetness) Decoding the old city&#8217;s trilogy of gift, method and balance Written by an editor devoted to the lanes of Tainan [Editor&#8217;s revised preface, 2025] The soul of sweetness: this is not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":42823,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"The 3 Door Market Walk [Side Feature II] The Alchemy of Sweetness in Tainan, with a Philosophical Reflection - \u53f0\u5357\u65c5\u5e97 \u4e09\u9053\u9580-\u5efa\u7bc9\u6587\u5275\u65c5\u5e97\uff1a\u6c89\u6d78\u5f0f\u7f8e\u5b78\u4f4f\u5bbf\u9ad4\u9a57 - \u53f0\u5357\u65c5\u5e97\u3001\u4f4f\u5bbf\u9996\u9078","description":"Market Vogue Extra Vol.2 [3 Door Hotel Online Magazine] The Market Walk The alchemy of sweetness in Tainan (with a philosophical reflection on sweetness) Decodi"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[110,117,127,119,121,58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions","category-blog","category-hotnews","category-tainan-food","category-tainan-travel","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47402"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47403,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47402\/revisions\/47403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}