Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
The view from the Q’eswachaka woven suspension bridge.
This Man Rebuilds the Last Inca Rope Bridge Yearly
Su filindeu doesn’t cook in strands, it cooks in sheets.
How the ‘Su Filindeu’ (or ‘Threads of God’) Pasta Recipe Was Almost Lost to Time
Eroded rocks of the badlands in the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.
Arizona’s Petrified Forest Is Changing What We Know About the Dawn of the Dinosaurs
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Taiwan Taipei Jadeite Cabbage With Insects
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Jadeite Cabbage With Insects

An imperial art museum offers edible versions of its most treasured displays in an on-site fine-dining restaurant.

Taipei, Taiwan

Added By
Anne Ewbank
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  tonya_nui/Used with permisson
  soup210/Used with permission
  tingyu_a_liu/Used with permission
  RogueSquad / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Taiwan's National Palace Museum is stocked with breathtaking treasures from China's imperial. Its arguably greatest attraction is a small statuette, shaped like a bok choy cabbage. While it may seem pedestrian at a glance, a closer look reveals that the cabbage is actually carved from a single piece of green-and-white jade, lending a surprisingly realistic look. A delicately carved locust and katydid (a type of cricket) are perched elegantly on its leaves, to boot. Its artistry, unusual subject, and the fact that it likely belonged to a Qing-dynasty consort give the cabbage massively popular appeal, making it one of the most-viewed objects at the museum.

Walking the several floors of the sprawling museum would make anyone hungry, and the museum's on-site fine-dining restaurant, the Silks Palace, offers a most unusual banquet: "The National Palace Museum Imperial Treasures Feast" is modeled after the famous objects on display. It includes a pork version of the museum's famed meat-shaped jasper stone, and fruit arranged in an ice container carved to look like one of China's ancient bronze cauldrons, the Mao-Kung Ting.

But the showstopper is undoubtedly the "Jadeite Cabbage with Insects." Made from a tiny, tender bok choy and braised with meat broth, the cabbage is arranged upright in a large spoon to resemble its jade counterpart. In place of crickets, Silk Palace's rendition artfully substitutes shrimp.

Related Tags

Insects Prepared

Know Before You Go

To ensure you can order the National Palace Museum Imperial Treasures Feast, be sure to make a reservation. You can find contact information on the restaurant website or email the staff at silkspalacecs@regenttaiwan.com. The restaurant is right next to the museum, which is open every day from 8:30 to 6:30, and the full menu of museum treasures costs 3800NT$ (about $125 USD).

Community Contributors

Added By

Anne Ewbank

Edited By

linkogecko, RogueSquad

  • linkogecko
  • RogueSquad

Published

August 10, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://supertravelme.com/destination/destination-taiwan-dining-at-silks-palace-taipei/
  • https://www.huffingtonpost.com/regina-varolli/tasting-taiwan-part-two-s_b_1181587.html
  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/treasure-jade-cabbage-china-taiwan
  • https://travel.nine.com.au/2017/05/11/13/50/taiwan-taipei-weird-restaurants/silks-palace
Jadeite Cabbage With Insects
至善路二段221号
士林区
Taipei
Taiwan
25.100424, 121.54965
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Grand Hotel Tunnel

Taipei, Taiwan

miles away

Carp Hill Miniatures

Taipei, Taiwan

miles away

Taiwan Stock Museum

Taipei, Taiwan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Taipei

Taipei

Taiwan

Places 26

Nearby Places

Grand Hotel Tunnel

Taipei, Taiwan

miles away

Carp Hill Miniatures

Taipei, Taiwan

miles away

Taiwan Stock Museum

Taipei, Taiwan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Taipei

Taipei

Taiwan

Places 26

Related Stories and Lists

50 Places to Eat and Drink Before You Die

List

By Atlas Obscura

Jadeite Cabbage

Podcast

By The Podcast Team

12 Restaurants Hidden in Museums Around the Globe

List

By Diana Hubbell

7 Incredible, Edible Imposters

List

By Sam O'Brien

Related Places

  • Opuntia pads growing cochineal.

    Oaxaca, Mexico

    Nocheztlicalli - Museo Ecológico de Grana Cochinilla

    Here you can learn about an insect that was called "cactus blood," which trade turned immensely valuable as "red gold".

  • The grave of Princess Centipede.

    Morioka, Japan

    Grave of Princess Centipede

    Legend says that a swarm of centipedes and snakes once crawled out of the tomb of this cursed princess.

  • Marlborough, New Hampshire

    The Caterpillar Lab

    This curious and colorful space invites visitors to delve into the hidden and often mind-boggling world of caterpillars.

  • Another side view

    Upsala, Ontario

    Mosquito Carrying A Man

    A giant metal mosquito prepares to feast.

  • Græshoppebroen (Grasshopper Bridge)

    Karrebæksminde, Denmark

    Græshoppebroen (Grasshopper Bridge)

    This distinctive bug-like bridge is made of recycled horseshoes.

  • St. Augustine, Florida

    Disease Vector Education Center

    The United States' only educational center specializing in disease vectors and mosquitoes.

  • Mushrooms

    Monteverde, Costa Rica

    Reserva Curi Cancha

    This wildlife refuge is home to more than 200 species of birds, as well as monkeys, lizards, and other wildlife.

  • Konchu Senju-Kannon, the Insect Goddess of Mercy.

    Itakura, Japan

    Thousand-Armed Insect Goddess of Mercy

    A bizarre statue of a Buddhist goddess made from 20,000 insects.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.