Wheel Cake: The Arc of Taiwanese Identity from Japanese 'Imagawa-yaki' to Wudan Red Bean

30-Second Overview:
In April 2026, a workplace argument over whether "Red Bean Cake" was a Chinese term turned this national snack into an unexpected cultural battlefield. In fact, the wheel cake originated from "Imagawa-yaki" in Japan's Edo period. It was an expensive treat only accessible to a few when introduced to Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era. It was not until the successful trial planting of Wudan red beans in Pingtung in the 1960s that this snack truly "took root," growing its own name and story on the streets of Taiwan.

"Red bean cake is a Chinese term; Taiwanese should call it wheel cake!"

In April 2026, this sentence sparked an intense "Red Bean Cake Controversy" on Threads. An office employee was corrected by a colleague for calling the snack "Red Bean Cake," leading to an argument that even made a female colleague cry on the spot¹. The controversy, superficially a political anxiety over terminology, is actually the evolutionary history of this snack in Taiwan spanning a century and three generations.

In fact, on the official "ID card" of this snack in Taiwan, there is a name full of Japanese flavor: Imagawa-yaki (Imagawa-yaki).

From Edo's Kanda to Taipei's Streets

At the end of the 19th century, with the rule of the Japanese, this snack, which originated near the Imagawa Bridge in Kanda, Edo, was introduced to Taiwan. At that time, it was unequivocally a "high-end dessert."

"In early Taiwan, red beans were not produced locally and had to be imported from abroad, making the price very expensive," pointed out a curator researching Taiwanese food culture. During the Japanese colonial period, this snack with red bean filling and a soft outer skin was a luxury that only the class with a fixed income could occasionally indulge in². At that time, Taiwanese people looked at the round, patterned pastry skin and called it "Imagawa-yaki" or "Taiko-yaki."

📝 Curator's Note
The name of a snack often marks its status when it entered this land.

1960: The "Democratization" Revolution of Wudan Red Beans

The key turning point that transformed the wheel cake from a "high-end Japanese wagashi" into a "national snack" occurred in Wudan, Pingtung, in the 1960s.

According to records from the Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, and the Wudan Township Agricultural Association, the planting of red beans in Pingtung County began in the 50th year of the Republic of China (1960s), introducing "Laizai Zhong" red beans from Alishan, Chiayi³. After the successful formal field trial planting by the people of Wudan Township, within less than three years, red beans became an economic crop for the second rice crop in the Wudan area.

In 1970 (the 59th year of the Republic of China), a small stall appeared next to Wudan Elementary School, where the founder, Huang Yuanlai, began making snacks using the freshest local red beans⁴.

"Customers bought the red bean cake, finished it nearby, and praised, 'Jiuhe jia!' (Really delicious)." This simple praise opened the legend of Wudan red bean cake⁵. Huang Yuanlai's small stall later evolved into today's popular "Huang Family Wudan Red Bean Cake," linking the name "Wudan" with red bean cake.

1980: Automated Molds and the Birth of the "Wheel"

Although Wudan popularized red bean cake, what truly made it "bloom everywhere" on the streets of Taiwan was the intervention of Taiwan's mechanical industry in the 1980s.

Early red bean cake molds were mostly hand-cast iron pans, capable of baking only 10 to 12 pieces at a time, with uneven heating. In the 1980s, Taiwanese manufacturers developed rotating circular automated baking pans, the shape of which resembled a giant wheel. This is the technical background behind the term "wheel cake" spreading rapidly in northern metropolitan areas⁶. This baking pan not only increased production but also created a crispy texture on the edges of the pastry, similar to cookies, formally diverging from the traditional Japanese soft "Imagawa-yaki."

📝 Curator's Note
Technological innovation often reshapes language. When the baking pan started spinning, it was no longer just a carrier for red beans in the eyes of urbanites, but a spinning "wheel."

Linguistic Misconceptions and Cultural Depth

Returning to the controversy in 2026. The correctors believed that "Red Bean Cake" was a Chinese term because it "flattened" and unified all flavors. However, from a historical perspective, people in Wudan had been calling it red bean cake 50 years ago. This is not an外来语 (foreign loanword) but rather a pride in local industry.

"We have called it red bean cake since we were children. This has nothing to do with politics; it is about the red beans of our hometown," responded a Wudan native born in the 73rd year of the Republic of China (1984) helplessly on social media⁷.

Today's wheel cake is no longer limited to red bean flavors. From classic butter and taro to Taiwan-specific radish shreds and bubble tea, and even French truffle, this snack has shown extreme inclusiveness in Taiwan. From the perspective of cultural identity, academic research has already viewed the naming difference between "Red Bean Cake / Wheel Cake" as a concrete specimen of cross-regional power and identity flow⁸.

From the expensive Japanese "Imagawa-yaki," to the "Red Bean Cake" in the Pingtung fields, to the "Wheel Cake" on the city street corner, this snack has rolled a unique cultural arc on the taste buds of Taiwanese people over a hundred years. The next time you bite into that hot filling, perhaps we can temporarily put aside the disputes over names and simply enjoy that sweetness spanning time and space.

Further Reading

• Taiwanese Snacks — Explore the diverse origins and evolution of Taiwanese street food.
• Taiwanese Pastry Culture — From traditional sacrifices to modern snacks, see the century-long transformation of Taiwanese pastries.
• Night Market Culture — The status and competition of wheel cakes and red bean cakes in Taiwan's night markets.

References