Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
- stuffed into a bamboo stalk); these bamboo-inspired energy bars are a speciality of the
Tsou aboriginal tribe in Alishan, who are also known for their love of bird's nest fern,
tree tomatoes and millet wine.
Over in Sandimen, millet is the staple of the Rukai diet, while
qínàbù
, or taro and meat
dumplings, and grilled wild boar with papaya (
Mùguā bàn shānzhūròu
) can also be
tasted in many Rukai villages. The Baiyi in Cingjing, who originally came from Yunnan,
infuse their mushroom and meat dishes with herbs such as mint, chillies and stinging
'flower peppers'.
Vegetarian
Taiwanese vegetarian cuisine has plenty to offer any traveller, vegetarian or not. The
country's Buddhist roots run deep, and while only a small (but still sizeable) percentage
of Taiwanese are vegetarian, a fair chunk of the population abstains from meat for spir-
itual or health reasons every now and again, even if only for a day or a week.
Buddhist vegetarian restaurants are easy to find. Just look for the gigantic
savastika
(an ancient Buddhist symbol that looks like a reverse swastika) hanging in front of the
restaurant. Every neighbourhood and town will generally have at least one vegetarian
buffet. The Taiwanese are masters at adding variety to vegetarian cooking, as well as cre-
ating 'mock meat' dishes made of tofu or gluten on which veritable miracles have been
performed.
Drinks
Tea
Tea is a fundamental part of Chinese life. In fact, an old Chinese saying identifies tea as
one of the seven basic necessities of life (along with fuel, oil, rice, salt, soy sauce and
vinegar). Taiwan's long growing season and hilly terrain are perfectly suited for produ-
cing excellent tea, especially high-mountain oolong, which is prized among tea connois-
seurs the world over (and makes a great gift for the folks back home).
There are two types of teashops in Taiwan. The first are traditional teashops (more
commonly called teahouses) where customers brew their own tea in a traditional clay
pot, choosing from several types of high-quality leaves, and sit for hours playing cards or
Chinese chess. These places can be found tucked away in alleys in almost every urban
area, but are best visited up in the mountains. Taipei's Maokong is an excellent place to
experience a traditional Taiwanese teahouse. The second are the stands found on every
street corner. These specialise in bubble tea - a mixture of tea, milk, flavouring, sugar
