2020 Rice Noodle and Meatball Festival Expands: Jerky and Meat Floss Join the Lineup

The annual Hsinchu City Rice Noodle and Meatball Festival takes the stage this weekend. Coinciding with Taiwan pigs being removed from the list of foot-and-mouth disease-affected areas, the city government is expanding the event. The Meatball Festival will be held on Saturday and the Rice Noodle Festival on Sunday, at 228 Park and Nanshi Qingnan Temple respectively, and 25 pork delicacy vendors selling jerky, meat floss and more have been invited to show their support for Taiwan pigs. Mayor Lin Chih-chien said that recently many counties and cities have been arguing over whose braised pork rice is the best, and he also declared that he is "joining the battle": "Rice with soup, you definitely have to pair it with Hsinchu meatball soup!" He invited people from all over the country to come taste Hsinchu City's local delicacies this weekend.

Mayor Lin Chih-chien said that this year Taiwan pigs have been removed from the global list of foot-and-mouth disease-affected areas, and Taiwan pork can once again be exported overseas. In other words, Hsinchu City's meatballs can likewise be exported around the world. By expanding the Rice Noodle and Meatball Festival, he hopes to let people across Taiwan come together to taste all kinds of pork products and experience the unique texture of Hsinchu meatballs. He also personally unboxed the Hsinchu Meatball Festival limited-edition gift box, the "Pig Treasure Box," which contains meatball rice noodles, jerky and meat floss. The abundant "Pig Treasure Box" is expected to be given away on the Hsinchu City Facebook page "Hsinchu City Fresh News"; for details, please see the official website.

The Hsinchu City Industrial Development and Investment Promotion Committee said that this year's Rice Noodle and Meatball Festival is different from previous years, split into two days. The Meatball Festival will feature a Meat Lovers Market with vendors selling jerky, meat floss, sausages and braised pork rice all setting up stalls, while the Rice Noodle Festival will lead people back to Rice Noodle Liao, the hometown of rice noodles, and on to the factories to learn how rice noodles are made. A fun theater troupe has also been invited to perform a parent-child stage play on site. Over the two days, more than 60 stalls in total selling rice noodles, meatballs and local specialties will take part, and chefs will even turn meatballs into creative dishes such as Vietnamese spring rolls, just waiting for people to come and try something new.