Wanluan Pork Knuckle

Wanluan is a Hakka town of a few thousand people with a street of restaurants that all sell the same thing: pork knuckle braised long in soy, star anise and rock sugar until the skin is gelatinous, then served either hot or sliced cold with a garlic and soy dipping sauce. Several shops claim to be the original and have signs saying so. The dish travelled across Taiwan under the town's name and buses come here specifically for lunch.

What you actually see

• The braised knuckle - long-cooked pork with gelatinous skin, hot or cold-sliced.
• The garlic sauce - the crushed garlic and soy dip served with it.
• The rival shops - several competing originals along the same street.
• The Hakka context - the town and its cooking traditions around the dish.

When to go

Year round; shops open for lunch and dinner and the busiest hours are midday at weekends. Some sell out. Weekdays are quiet.

Honest expectations

The dish is very rich and one knuckle between two is plenty. The rival original claims are marketing rather than record. The town has nothing else for visitors.

Nearby

Pingtung city is west, and Sandimen is north.