🍽️ Taiwan Coffin Toast

Hollow toast with creamy filling, Tainan quirky dish.

The Taiwan Coffin Toast is a famously quirky snack of Tainan, Taiwan, with an unusual name but wide popularity. A thick slice of toast is deep-fried until golden and crisp, hollowed out, filled with a creamy white-sauce stew of diced chicken, peas, carrot and seafood, then topped with another fried slice as a 'lid.' Its boxy shape gave it the name, later played on auspicious homophones. Cut open, the outer bread has soaked up gravy yet stays crisp, while the filling is rich, thick and savory. Tainan cooking is known for generous portions and a slightly sweet-savory balance, and this toast is a typical example. It originated in local night markets and snack streets, is best eaten fresh from the fryer, and is a must-try novelty for visitors, often served as an appetizer at banquets.