Description
A vibrant local drink from Taiwan's outlying Penghu islands, squeezing the red fruit of wild cacti and seasoning it sweet and sour with honey or lemon.
Restaurants serving Cactus Juice
Researching
We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Red cactus fruit
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Water
- Ice
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Cactus Harvest & Prep] Harvest ripe, purplish-red golf-ball-sized fruits of 'Xianrenzhang (Cactus)' growing wild along Penghu's coast (thick gloves essential due to very sharp spines).
- Halve the fruit, scoop out the bright red flesh with a spoon. Absolutely remove the 'star-shaped microscopic spines (highly dangerous)' in the center of the flesh.
- Blend the flesh, strain firmly through fine gauze to extract ruby-clear 'bright red cactus juice (concentrate)'.
- The concentrate is grassy and highly acidic, so blend with plenty of honey (or sugar syrup) and a little lemon juice into an easy-to-drink sweet/sour flavor.
- Put ice in a cup and pour this vibrant cactus juice to serve. Making it into shaved ice (Xianrenzhang Bing) is also hugely popular.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Berry-like acidity of cactus fruit
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Acerola juice or Hibiscus tea (sub for color/acidity)
Pairing
Penghu grilled seafood (grilled squid、etc.)
Trivia
[For Everyone] The absolute specialty you must drink (sold everywhere) when visiting Penghu. Looks intense, but tastes like refreshing berries akin to 'acerola' or 'cranberry', very delicious. High in antioxidants, soaking into bodies bathed in the strong southern island sun.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Enjoying your tongue and lips dyed 'bright red' after drinking is a Penghu sightseeing tradition. Take a photo and upload it to SNS!
Allergen
None