Taiwan: Food Porn

Warning! Don't read this post on an empty stomach. The risk is all yours.


"Hey! How was your holiday? What have you eaten in Taiwan?" A friend asked me.

"Wrong question, girl!" My dad jumped into our conversation. "The correct one would be, what haven't you eaten in Taiwan?".


I thought I've only tasted some of Taiwanese delicacies. Until I was sorting the pictures and put them into one 'food' folder that I realised.....I have eaten sooooo much during my trip. I feel bad for blaming my jeans, I thought it has shrunk. Also I'm having a hard time to choose only some of the millions food photo for this blog post. So what have I eaten in Taiwan besides the bizarre food like giant crickets, maggots omelet and chicken testicles?

stinky tofu

Stinky tofu is really stinky (Doh!). This famous night market food is most commonly prepared by deep frying though it can be eaten cold, steamed or stewed. How to describe the smell? I'm sure everyone has their own opinion, to me it was like the smell of rotten garbage mixed with horse pee and troll's fart then is baked under the sun for days. But don't let the deadly odour put you off because once you brave enough to taste it, you might get addicted to it. The texture is crispy outside and soft inside, served with pickled cabbage, chili and sauce which the taste reminds me of Indonesian shrimp paste. Despite the smell I almost always buy and eat this food every time I go to Taiwan night market.

*Glad I was not sleeping beauty princess otherwise I would have slept forever because there's no prince who dared to kiss me :)) 

xiao long bao

Xiao long bao or steamed bun is often referred as 'soup-filled  dumplings' but I call it "bomb dumplings'. Why? Because when I tried it for the first time, my tongue got burned. My fault though, I pop the steaming hot dumpling in one go and the piping hot soup 'exploded' in my mouth. I thought I've lost my tongue! Traditionally filled with pork but the modern innovations include other meats, seafood and even vegetarian fillings.

dan zai noodle or tan tsu mien

Though its ingredient contains of noodle (carbs), this dish is actually regarded as a snack and always served in a small portion. I loooove yellow noodle for its smooth and chewy texture. The broth is clear and savoury, made from shrimp thus it has a slight hint of sweet taste. Served with braised minced pork, shrimps and marinated boiled egg. I always order another bowl of Taiwanese pork meatball to complement this delicious nibble.

oyster omelet or o-a-chian

It's been said that Oyster Omelet is originally a snack from Tainan but my favourite is in one of the food stalls in Kaohsiung night market. Made from fresh oyster, a batter of potato starch, eggs, topped with some vegetables and pan fried over high heat. A sweet and sour sauce is poured on top before serving. I also post a video about how to cook oyster omelet, just scroll down and you'll find it in the end of this post :)

pop corn chicken

OMG! Please excuse me for a moment *wiping the drool off my mouth*.

Okay, I'm back.

Taiwanese pop corn chicken is my all time favourite food since I was a kid. Even until now my super nose can recognise the smell from very far distance. Very fragrant and appetising aroma. To me it smells like 'Ngo Hiong' or 5 spice powder which is often used in Chinese food. Basically it's just some chicken chunks, dipped in flour based batter, deep fried and sprinkled with pepper salt. It's crispy with juicy meat, aromatic and savoury. Simply irresistible

braised pork belly with preserved vegetable

stir fried pork kidney with sesame oil and ginger

minced pork rice

There are so many delicious pork dishes that you should try while in Taiwan (unless you don't eat pork of course). I love the braised pork knuckles and the best one can be found in Taichung from Ah Shui Shi restaurant. My Dad's Taiwanese friend often bring a bucket or two of pork knuckle every time he visits us in Indonesia. Their pork knuckles is very well marinated and tender, simply the best in the world. Worth every single cholesterol level in my blood :p

One of Taiwan's signature dishes is Lurou Fan or minced pork rice. On my last trip, I was passing through Nantou county and tried the minced pork rice at one small eatery called Su Mama (found it from Tripadvisor). It's only a simple bowl of hot rice topped with braised mince pork. But the combination of sweet, salty, savoury and fragrant was so good, I was about to order another bowl.

you yu geng soup

Youyu means squid and geng is thick soup, another specialities of Taiwan which usually can be found in traditional market. When I was a kid, this soup was the reason I'd wake up very early and tagged along my grandmother to traditional markets. You yu geng is made from squid which is wrapped in fish paste then cooked in some fish broth then added slices bamboo shoot, mushroom, vegetables and also vermicelli. Seasoned with black vinegar before it's thickened with cornstarch. Best to eat in winter or rainy days.

deep fried fish

coffin bread

This famous snack from Tainan has a amusing appearance of a coffin hence its name Guancai Ban or Coffin Bread. The deep-fried thick slice of bread is cut to resemble a box and lid. Then it is filled with a thick chowder of chicken, shrimp, pork, potatoes and other ingredients. Despite very popular among locals and tourists, I don't really like it. I think the bread texture was too soggy.

steamed crab

grilled squid on a stick

Seafood is abundant in Taiwan. You can easily spot seafood dishes in night market or restaurant. My favourite is definitely grilled squids. The fresh squid is marinated in some mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, pepper and garlic. Pearce squid with bamboo stick then frequently turning and basking while grilling. The tasty aroma making me not patient enough to wait until it's done. Gaah! I can't believe I'm torturing myself by writing this food post *crying a river*

hujiao bing aka black pepper bun

Finally I got to taste the famous Hujiao Bing in Raohe night market. The queue is expectedly very long and that's the sign that I have found the right stall. The bun has a crispy and flaky crust which emit the aroma of sesame seeds while the fillings explodes with juicy flavours of scallions, pork and black pepper. It's deliciously aromatic and distinctively smokey being charcoal baked.

grilled sausage on a stick

The appetising aroma of this plump and glistening grilled pork sausage floating in the air will certainly teases your sense. Like being hypnotised, you're walking closer and grab it..... then sink your teeth into the crunchy meat texture while the sweet juice dripping and explodes throughout your entire mouth. Tonguegasm guaranteed.

oyster mee sua

persimmon

giant sugar-apple fruits

Taiwan also has some delicious fruits, sweet treats and desserts which are too good to be missed. I was quite sad that I couldn't find taro ice cream though. The store which I used to get from is closed down already. Anyone in Taiwan knows where to get the best taro ice cream? I will surely check it on my next visit to Taiwan.

tangyuan

hot chocolate at Republic of Chocolate

ice shaved dessert

mochi

candied fruits

Basically those are only about 25% of food that I've eaten on my last trip to Taiwan. So probably I'll need to write another blog post about Taiwan food porn, lol. Taiwan is indeed a home to ethic and cultural diversity thus it reflects on their rich cuisine. Even for a frequent visitor like me, there's always something new to try. I surely can't wait to my next visit to Taiwan! :D