The Famous A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll in Jiufen, Taiwan

The Famous Peanut Ice Cream Roll

by A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll, Jiufen, Taiwan

I arrived in Jiufen, a former gold-mining town in the mountains of northern Taiwan that is now a charming day trip from Taipei. It was a cold, grey, rainy day. Despite the cold, one of the must-try foods in Jiufen is the famous A-Zhu peanut ice cream roll. This snack is even recommended by the Michelin guide, so I definitely had to try one. It's never really too cold for ice cream, right?

the famous A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll in Jiufen, Taiwan

The front of the shop has a huge outward-facing window, and after queueing up in front of the counter, you can watch as the peanut roll is assembled step-by step.

The base of the dish is made from a paper-thin spring roll-like crepe made from flour, water, and salt.

The wrap is then topped with a mountain of peanut candy shaved from a huge block right onto the crepe.

a block of sweet peanut brittle is shaved into dust for the filling

The staff serve two scoops of light sorbet-like ice cream on the shaved peanut brittle and add an option sprinkle of fresh cilantro.

The flavor combination may sound odd, but everything really works together in harmony. The outer wrap is light and fluffy, and the combination of the velvety and slightly tart ice cream, super sweet peanut, and the green, fresh hint of cilantro combine for a really unique and delicious street food treat.

preparing the peanut ice cream roll in Jiufen

Everything is rolled together like a burrito and sliced in half in an easy-to-eat and easy-to-share snack to go.

A-Zhu peanut ice cream roll in Jiufen, Taiwan

 

Location

A-Zhu Peanut Ice Cream Roll is located in Jiufen at No. 20號, Jishan St, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224. Jiufen, which is about an hour by bus outside of downtown Taipei, is an amazing day trip from the city. This old mining town is now a beautiful and charming tourist destination famous for its incredible sea views, historic winding streets, markets, and traditional teahouses.