Coffin bread, also known as coffin lid or coffin board (Taiwanese Hokkien: koaⁿ-chhâ-pang 棺柴枋, Chinese: 棺材板; pinyin: guāncaibǎn),1 is a Taiwanese bread bowl which originated in Tainan.
History
Coffin bread has been sold at night markets in Tainan and Taipei since at least the 1940s.23 It became popular with US troops stationed in Taiwan.4 Sources credit the invention of coffin bread to Hsu Liu-yi, owner of Shengchang Old Chikan (Chikan Coffin), a restaurant in Kangle Market since 1942.25
Description
Coffin bread starts as a thick slab of soft white bread. The bread is hollowed out and deep fried or toasted before it is filled with a creamy stew of chicken, seafood, tripe, or mushroom. It is then topped with a piece of toasted or fried bread, creating the "coffin" look.3
References
References
- Lin, Eddie (16 October 2019). "Has Taiwanese Coffin Bread Ghosted Los Angeles?". losangeleno.com. Los Angeleno. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- "BOOKMAN BILINGUAL 雙語書林：The Story of Coffin Bread (Treasure Chest) 棺材板（官財板）的故事 - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 2024-03-04. Retrieved 2025-12-18.
- Craddock, Kat (18 March 2019). "Taiwan's Coffin Bread Perfects the Art of the Bread Bowl". www.saveur.com. Saveur. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
- Keeling, Stephen (2013). The Rough Guide to Taiwan. UK: Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1409350613.
- "10 Must-Try Delicacies When You're In Taiwan". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 2025-12-18.