Square cookie

Lore & Background

Square cookies were first crafted by Tang Chang-fa in 1956. Tang, a retired military officer who retreated from China to Taiwan with the Kuomintang in 1949, innovatively combined the method of making northern Chinese flatbread with traditional Taiwanese pastry techniques. He modified the shape to a square for better packaging and convenience. These cookies have since become emblematic of Chiayi's culinary heritage, frequently chosen as souvenirs and included in prestigious lists such as Taiwan's top 100 souvenirs and state banquet desserts.

Reader's Guide

Square cookies are a staple in Chiayi, often considered the best in the region. En Dian Square Cookies, established in 1945, is a well-known local bakery that specializes in these cookies, boasting a delicate 243-layered crispy texture. The cookies come in various flavours, including original, honey, chocolate, and seaweed. They are also a popular choice for souvenirs and are included in gift packages for tourists. The primary ingredients include baked milk powder, butter or lard, sesame seeds, and sugar. Preparation involves mixing low-gluten flour with these ingredients to form a dough, which is then divided into small portions. Separately, medium-gluten flour is kneaded to create the outer layer. Each portion of the filling is wrapped in the outer layer, flattened, folded multiple times, and then baked until crispy. The resulting texture and flavor, characterized by the rich taste of butter and sesame, are what make these cookies particularly appealing.

Did You Know?

• Square cookies were first crafted by Tang Chang-fa in 1956.
• Tang was a retired military officer who retreated from China to Taiwan with the Kuomintang in 1949.
• En Dian Square Cookies specializes in these cookies with a 243-layered crispy texture.
• Square cookies are included in Taiwan's top 100 souvenirs and state banquet desserts.

From the Battlefield to the Bakery

Square cookies trace their birth to 1956, when Tang Chang-fa, a retired military officer, set out to create something new in Chiayi County. Tang had arrived in Taiwan in 1949 as part of the Kuomintang's retreat from mainland China, carrying with him not only a soldier's discipline but also a deep familiarity with northern Chinese flatbread traditions. Rather than simply replicating a recipe, he fused that northern technique with the pastry methods already rooted in Taiwanese baking culture. A practical detail defined the final form: he shaped the cookies into squares rather than rounds, a decision driven by the desire for easier packaging and everyday convenience. What began as one man's inventive experiment quickly outgrew his kitchen. Over the decades, the square cookie evolved into a symbol of Chiayi's food identity, a treat so closely tied to the region that it now appears on curated lists of Taiwan's top hundred souvenirs and even graces state banquet dessert tables. The cookie's story is, in many ways, a small mirror of the broader cultural exchange that accompanied the 1949 migration.

The Architecture of a Crisp Bite

The making of a square cookie is a study in layered precision. The filling begins with baked milk powder, butter or lard, sesame seeds, and sugar, all combined with low-gluten flour to form a soft, pliable dough. This mixture is then portioned into small, manageable pieces. Meanwhile, a separate batch of medium-gluten flour is kneaded into a sturdier outer wrapper. Each filling portion is encased within this outer layer, then flattened by hand and folded repeatedly. That folding is the secret: it builds up the dozens of thin, alternating strata that give the finished cookie its signature shatter. Once shaped into its characteristic square, the pastry goes into the oven, where it bakes until the layers turn golden and crisp. The result is a cookie whose flavor profile leans heavily on the nutty warmth of sesame and the rich, slightly savory depth of butter. The contrast between the tender interior and the brittle, flaky exterior is what makes each bite feel like a small engineering triumph.

A Cookie on the National Stage

Few regional pastries in Taiwan have climbed as high in the public imagination as the square cookie. Rooted in Chiayi County, it has become so synonymous with the area's culinary identity that locals often regard their own version as the definitive one. Its reputation extends well beyond the local market: the cookie has been selected for Taiwan's top hundred souvenirs list, a distinction that places it alongside far more elaborate dishes and crafts. It has also earned a spot on state banquet dessert menus, a testament to how a humble baked good can carry the weight of national hospitality. For visitors to Chiayi, the square cookie functions as a portable piece of the region's story. It is the item most frequently packed into gift boxes for tourists, the treat friends and family reach for when they want to send a taste of the island home. In this way, the cookie operates less as a simple snack and more as a cultural ambassador, quietly introducing the flavors of butter, sesame, and layered crispness to anyone who unwraps one.

Flavor Evolution and the En Dian Legacy

Chiayi's square cookie scene is anchored by bakeries that have refined the craft over generations. Perhaps the most celebrated is En Dian Square Cookies, a local establishment that opened its doors in 1945, predating even Tang Chang-fa's 1956 innovation. En Dian has built its reputation on an extraordinary technical achievement: a crispy texture built from 243 delicate layers, setting its product apart from competitors. Beyond the classic original flavor, the cookie has branched into a small family of variations. Honey adds a gentle sweetness that complements the sesame, chocolate introduces a Western-style richness, and a seaweed variant brings a savory, umami twist that speaks to local taste preferences. These options make the square cookie versatile enough to appeal to a wide range of palates while keeping the fundamental identity of buttery, flaky, square-shaped crispness intact. For tourists assembling a gift package, the variety offers a chance to sample the full spectrum of what Chiayi's bakers consider their signature treat.