Taiwan's Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner, and that means traditional egg yolk pastries, mooncakes, and pineapple cakes are in high demand. In fact, some people are willing to go to great lengths to get the most famous delicacies in time for the holiday.
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A famous pastry shop in Chunghua hasn’t even opened its doors yet and already long queues of people can be seen waiting on the street, all hoping to get their hands on the shop’s famous egg yolk pastries. Some people bring their own chairs, and some even arrive the night before, sacrificing their sleep and giving priority to the pastry.
Considering the store only begins offering these treats 3 days before the festival, securing a box of fresh pastries is no cakewalk. But there’s another solution for those unwilling to stand in lines: hire someone to buy it on their behalf. But this service will cost you extra dough, double the normal price. To avoid pastry scalping, some stores limit sales to 30 cakes per person.
Another famous store in Taichung also reported long queues all the way around the corner and into an adjacent street, swamping employees with orders.
Pineapple cakes can also be a challenge to buy. One store reopened after being closed for 17 days, immediately attracting long lines starting early in the morning. The notice of temporary closure was a letdown for many who were excited to buy their tasty cakes. One customer says that he was going to come earlier but postponed due to rain. He arrived at the store only to find huge crowds. The owner later revealed that the closure was due to a large number of private orders.
Egg yolk pastries, mooncakes, and pineapple cakes are must-have snacks during Mid-Autumn festivities. But with lines and prices like these, it won’t be easy to have your cake and eat it too.