But times have changed. Temple activities have steadily declined from their central place in society, and traditional snacks are losing ground in our changing ways of life. . . .

Eating occupies an important place in Chinese culture, and just about anything that moves or grows can be turned into a delicacy on the dinner table. That holds true not just for the standard dishes in cookbooks but for traditional treats and snacks as well.

Traditional snacks are rich in local color, and only a few of them will be introduced here. Those favored on Taiwan originated in various, places. Some came from the mainland, some were left behind by the Japanese, and some are of unknown provenance.

Tasty, cheap and easy to prepare, traditional snacks were highly popular in the rural society of the past. Most of them were made from readily available ingredients, in line with the Chinese knack for exercising one's ingenuity on whatever comes to hand.

On-the-spot preparation was one of the chief characteristics of traditional snacks. They were sold by street vendors who roamed from door to door or waited at fixed locations in front of temples, under shade trees or wherever else people congregated.

The vendors worked from rickshaws or pushcarts, with all the necessary equipment and ingredients loaded inside. Despite today's advances in transportation, the vendors have generally stuck to their traditional means of getting about--except for popped rice sellers, who have switched to vans and motor-driven equipment in place of pedal power.

In the rural society of the past, when transportation was poorly developed, when the population was less concentrated and when there were fewer neighborhood stores, street vendors provided a welcome service. But now that people on Taiwan have a much higher standard of living and different lifestyles and living habits, snack foods have moved off the pushcarts of vendors and onto the shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores. At the same time, tastes have become westernized, and many snacks with a rich local flavor have become hard to find.

Hua-t'ang (decorative lollipops) were brought to Taiwan from Fukien Province and spread to villages and cities all over the island during the early years of this century. To make them the vendor would pour boiled sugar cane syrup onto a metal plate in the shape of birds, flowers and other patterns and place a bamboo stick on the back to lift them up after they had cooled. Since the market is teeming with all kinds of candy in exquisite packaging and a host of flavors now, this kind of item has fallen on hard times and is no longer seen much any more.

Mien-hua-t'ang (cotton candy) is still pretty popular. Sugar is heated in a machine and spun rapidly into silky threads that are wound around a bamboo stick. Balls of cotton candy look like billowy clouds that have floated down from the sky. They are soft and sweet to eat and often make children's mouths water with anticipation.

T'ang-hu-lu (candy gourds) originated in Peking, where they were made by placing two candied fruits on a bamboo stick--a Chinese hawthorn on top and a peeled tangerine on the bottom--so that the resulting shape looked like a gourd. Later the combination was reversed or four or five fruits were strung out in a row, but the name stayed.

On Taiwan t'ang-hu-lu are quite different. The syrup is made from maltose and brown sugar or granulated sugar and red food coloring, and the fruits are locally produced tomatoes, strawberries, plums or hawthorns.

Many Taiwan snacks originated from the mainland or the areas along the coast, but ch'e-lun-ping (cartwheel cookies) are genuine native articles. Widespread during the Japanese occupation, they have disappeared from the cities but can still be found in towns and villages.

Cartwheel cookies have a thin, crunchy skin and are shaped like their name. The fillings come in a variety of flavors, such as cream paste, peanut paste, red bean paste and radish strips. The last two flavors are the most popular, so some people call them red bean or radish strip cookies. They can serve as a nutritious side dish as well as a snack.

Liang-yuan (cool dumplings) are also nutritious and have a red bean filling. They are chilled after steaming and make a refreshing treat in the long, hot summer.

Thinking back on the pao-mi-hsiang (popped rice) of their childhood, many people reveal a mixture of love and fear, because whenever the popped rice vendor came by their house and their mothers brought out the family's rice for popping, it meant they would have crisp popped rice to eat, but that big bang always came at an unexpected time and startled them, even though they knew it was coming.

Popped rice originated from the region south of the Yangtze River. Sometimes adults like it even better than children.

Mien-ch'a (flour tea) was another common snack in rural society, both to quell the appetite and to please the palate. It sounds like a combination of flour and tea but really has nothing to do with tea at all, being a mixture of flour and hot water stir-fried into a sweet viscous dish.

First, stir-fry the flour over a warm fire until slightly brown, and then add thin bits of red onion and stir-fry with sugar and sesame until done. Rinse it in hot water and stir it into semiviscous consistency before eating.

The traditional snacks introduced above have nearly vanished from the bustling commercial society of today. If you're interested, why not start out with family and friends trying to make some simple, easy items like hua-t'ang, t'ang-hu-lu or mien-ch'a and call up the warm days of the past?

[Picture Caption]

The key to success in candy making is proper heating.(Center) Decorative lollipops are so much fun for kids to look at that they often can't bear to eat them.

(Left) With a practiced hand, a candy maker pours hot syrup onto a metal plate and begins to form it into various shapes.

Blowing candy is a form of folk art that combines handicraft with "mouth-craft."

Business is brisk at this stand for chuang-yuan-kao (scholar's cakes) on Taipei's Chungking South Road. (photo by Vincent Chang)

T'ang-hu-lu, or candy gourds, are a fond memory from our childhoods.

T'ang-hu-lu, no longer common in the bustling big city, can still be seen at special folk activities.

Looking very much like tiny wheels, ch'e-lun-ping (cartwheel cookies) are both tasty and nutritious.

A Taiwanese saying goes, "For tasty yams, avoid the big ones." The best are from Chushan.

Do you still remember the frightening bang that went off when pao-mi-hsiang (popped rice) was made? That was part of the price you had to pay for the treat!

Decorative lollipops are so much fun for kids to look at that they often can't bear to eat them.

The key to success in candy making is proper heating.

Business is brisk at this stand for chuang-yuan-kao （scholar's cakes） on Taipei's Chungking South Road. （photo by Vincent Chang）

Blowing candy is a form of folk art that combines handicraft with "mouth-craft.".

T'ang-hu-lu, no longer common in the bustling big city, can still be seen at special folk activities.

T'ang-hu-lu, or candy gourds, are a fond memory from our childhoods.

A Taiwanese saying goes, "For tasty yams, avoid the big ones." The best are from Chushan.

Looking very much like tiny wheels, ch'e-lun-ping （cartwheel cookies） are both tasty and nutritious.

Do you still remember the frightening bang that went off when pao-mi-hsiang （popped rice） was made? That was part of the price you had to pay for the treat!