How to get started with Taiwanese cuisine
- MK
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Taiwan boasts a diverse array of snacks, ranging from main dishes to desserts. Classic examples include braised pork rice, beef noodles, oyster omelets, and bubble tea. Must-try night market items include fried chicken, stinky tofu, Taiwanese sausage wrapped in sticky rice, and pepper cakes. Desserts include mango shaved ice and taro balls. Each region also offers unique local specialties, all contributing to Taiwan's rich culinary culture.
A visit to Taiwan is incomplete without exploring its night markets. From north to south, every city has its own night markets offering local delicacies. This article introduces must-try foods and some less common finds in Taiwan.
No1: Beef Noodles
Taiwanese beef noodles are a common noodle dish in Taiwan, belonging to one of the different styles of beef noodles. After World War II, with the relocation of the Republic of China government to Taiwan, veterans from other parts of mainland China who crossed the sea combined their hometown flavors with local Taiwanese elements to create Taiwanese beef noodles. The main flavors are clear broth and braised.
No. 2 Salt and Pepper Chicken
This is the most common type of fried chicken nugget in Taiwan. A key feature is the addition of basil during frying, giving it a unique aroma. It's a must-try when visiting Taiwan.
No3.Bubble tea
A traditional beverage, has long been a part of Taiwanese culture, with a rich tradition of tea drinking. While traditional Chinese tea was often enjoyed hot, Taiwan revolutionized this tradition by inventing bubble tea in the 1980s, followed by the addition of milk and tapioca pearls to create bubble tea. The English translations "Bubble tea" and "BOBA tea" are now included in the Oxford Dictionary as proper nouns. Bubble tea is readily available throughout Taiwan, making it easy to find when visiting.
Foods that are not easy to find in Taiwan
No.1: Gua Bao + Sishen Soup
Gua Bao is a classic Taiwanese Foods (Like hamburger) , shaped like a steamed bun split open, filled with braised pork, pickled vegetables, peanut powder, and cilantro. Its appearance resembles a tiger's mouth biting pork, hence the name "Tiger Bites Pig"; it also carries auspicious connotations due to its homonym "fortune bites in." Often called a "Taiwanese hamburger," it's eaten during year-end banquets and other festive occasions, symbolizing the eating away of bad luck and the arrival of good fortune and wealth.
Sishen Soup is a famous Taiwanese medicinal soup made from four ingredients: yam, fox nut, poria cocos, and lotus seeds. It is usually stewed with pork small intestine or spare ribs. If you can find gua bao (steamed buns) with Four Gods Soup in Taiwan, it is really amazing. It is very difficult for Taiwanese people to find a restaurant that serves it.
No2. Taiwanese Sausage Wrapped in Sticky Rice
If you're at a night market, you're sure to see this dish. It consists of a sliced sticky rice sausage wrapped around a grilled sausage, topped with sauce, garlic, pickled vegetables, and other ingredients. It looks like a Taiwanese version of a hot dog. However, you'll have to queue at the best stalls, so if you see one selling it, be sure to buy some and try it.
No.3 Stinky tofu:
There aren't many stalls selling stinky tofu, but you'll definitely find them in every county and city. If you dare to eat stinky tofu, you basically don't have to be afraid of any other food.
