Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and giant black tapioca balls. Also called pearl tea, the sweet drink is popular with stu-
dents, who gather at tea stands after school to socialise and relax, much in the way that
the older generation gathers at traditional teahouses.
NOCTURNAL FOOD FUN
One Taiwan experience you can't miss out on is eating at a night market. Though
Taipei's night markets are arguably the most famous, all cities in Taiwan have at
least a few of their own, and even a medium-sized town will have a street set up
with food stalls selling traditional Taiwanese eats late into the night. We've listed
our favourite night markets in our city headings, but you're sure to find ones you
like all over the island.
So what kind of food can you expect to find on the fly in Taiwan? Some items
won't surprise people used to eating Asian food back home. Taiwaneseshuǐjiǎo
(dumplings) are always a good bet, especially for those looking to fill up on the
cheap. Stuffed with meat, spring onion and greens,shuǐjiǎocan be served by the
bowl in a soup, and sometimes dry by weight. For a dipping sauce, locals mix chilli
(làjiāo), vinegar (cù) and soy sauce (jiàngyóu) in a bowl according to taste. Other
street snacks includezhà dòufu(fried tofu),lǔ dòufu(tofu soaked in soy sauce)
andkǎo fānshǔ(baked sweet potatoes), which can be bought by weight.
Probably the most recognisable Taiwanese street snack ischòu dòufu(stinky
fermented tofu). This deep-fried dish is something of an acquired taste, like certain
European cheeses: generally speaking, people either love the stuff or they can't
stand it. Another strange food to look out for ispídàn('thousand year eggs'), duck
eggs that are covered in straw and stored underground for six months - the yolk
turns green and the white becomes like jelly. Other interesting snacks available at
markets includejī jiǎo(chicken feet),zhū ěrduo(pig ears) and evenzhū jiǎo(pig
feet).
Coffee
Coffee, once hard to come by, is now widely consumed all over Taiwan ( Click here ) . A
world-class coffee culture - certainly the best in Asia - is fast laying roots here. Not only
is Taiwan big on coffee consumption - good quality coffee can be easily found in big cit-
ies like Taipei, Tainan and Kaohsiung - but the island is experimenting with growing the
stuff as well.
In the past few years a number of coffee plantations in southern Taiwan have begun
producing coffee for domestic consumption and export. Key coffee-growing regions in-
clude Dongshan Coffee Road in Tainan, Dewen in Sandimen and Gukeng near Chiayi.
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