Stumbling into a Hakka enclave

Kuangde Hsing Paper Umbrellas (光德興紙傘), 361 Chungshan Rd, Sec 1, Meinung (美濃鄉中山路1段361號)

Kuangmei Hsing Paper Umbrellas (光美興紙傘), 128 Chungshan Rd, Sec 1, Meinung (美濃鄉中山路1段128號)

Chinhsing Hang Blue Clothing Store (錦興行籃衫店), 177 Yungan Rd, Meinung (美濃鄉永安路177號)

Where to eat and drink:

No trip to Meinung is complete without eating its famous flat noodles. It's difficult, in fact, to know which made the other famous, but the owners of the Meiguang Flat Noodle Store (美光粄條店) could make a strong case for their noodles doing the boosting for the town. Now in its third generation, the store is located at one of Meinung's few stoplights and is conspicuous for the antique-looking sign hanging over its storefront announcing that the eatery's been open for 45 years and running.

Tucking into a bowl of their noodles, it's easy to see why this is the most famous joint in town. The noodles are made fresh daily by the storeowners to ensure that they keep a consistently strong texture after being dunked in the rich homemade pork-based broth. And a fistful of fresh sprouts adds crunch to each bite, while scallions and a healthy dollop of the local hot sauce will open travel-weary eyes.

The roadside store has a large seating area in an adjacent alley; but for the authentic experience, try to sit at one of the restaurant's three original tables. If the noodles don't suffice, the pork knuckle and fried greens in garlic can round out a meal for several people.

Another experience not to miss in Meinung is leicha, a traditional Hakka drink based on ground green tea with the addition of ground peanuts, sesame seeds and a host of other ingredients that vary from store to store. At the Meinung Hakka Inn Leicha Bar (美濃客家驛棧擂茶舖), a rustically decorated teahouse, the leicha includes sweetened popped rice added to the mixture just before drinking. The sweetness takes the bitterness out of the tea concoction and adds some crunch for the first few sips.

Part of the fun of drinking leicha is grinding the ingredients oneself. For this, the store provides a small mortar and pestle. The finer the powder, the better brew, but grind it too much and the drink loses its earthy texture. The abundance of ingredients cools the tea rapidly, so it's best prepared in small portions and steeped in boiling water.