Fantuan, or Taiwanese rice rolls, are one of Taiwan’s most familiar breakfast staples. Packed with sticky rice, fried dough sticks, and a generous amount of fillings, they have also become a local favorite that many overseas visitors make a point of trying when visiting Taiwan. But with that much volume and carbs in one meal, it is no surprise that some people end up feeling extremely full — and very sleepy — right after eating one.
Japanese illustrator and manga artist 「Gure Usagi（@gureusagi11）」 recently shared her own experience with Taiwanese rice rolls during a trip to Taiwan. On the morning of the third day of her trip, she met up with a friend and bought a purple rice fantuan for breakfast. Little did she know that the meal would become the “sleep switch” for the rest of her itinerary.
After finishing the rice roll, Gure Usagi joined a tour around Shifen and Jiufen. However, she ended up falling asleep in the car on the way to the sightseeing spots. Even after briefly getting off to visit Shifen Waterfall, she returned to the car and promptly fell asleep again, turning the day’s trip into a funny little Taiwan travel story.
Taiwanese netizens were quick to explain the phenomenon, joking that Taiwanese fantuan is practically a “Taiwanese sleeping pill.” With sticky rice and fried dough sticks forming a high-carb combination, some pointed out that the blood sugar spike and drop after eating could easily make people feel drowsy. Others joked that the power of Taiwanese rice rolls is simply too strong, calling them a full-on “carb coma bomb.”
Since Taiwanese fantuan is quite different from Japanese onigiri in both size and fillings, many Japanese netizens also became curious and said they would like to try one themselves. In recent years, Taiwanese rice rolls have been gaining attention overseas as well, even sparking taste-test and review trends in the United States. That said, anyone planning to take on this carb-heavy breakfast may want to prepare for a serious post-meal nap.
via： X @gureusagi11