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When it comes to food,
Taiwan is the place that can satisfy all your needs. Countries from
all corners of the world are represented here, leaving you with the
difficult task to choose from the great variety of food available,
ranging from international dishes to traditional Chinese delicacies
and authentic Taiwanese snacks. Finding something to eat in Taiwan is
not only easy, eating itself proves to be a joy time and time again.
To the Taiwanese, eating is an art and a cultural expression. Because
of Taiwan's specific historical background, its food culture has
become extremely diverse. Not only are Chinese dishes enhanced, the
finest food from around the world converges here, so whether you feel
like having some traditional Chinese food or would like to try
something different, its all there. All you have to do is choose from
the endless array of American, European, Italian, Asia-Pacific or even
Mediterranean dishes. It is for good reason that Taiwan is called the
"Republic of World Cuisine".
Chinese cuisine goes back to ancient times and achieved its present
level through the accumulation of thousands of years of practical
knowledge of and experience in cookery. Emphasis is placed on the
perfect combination of color, aroma, flavor and shape, through which
the most common ingredients are transformed into culinary tours de
force. Chinese cuisine has therefore become well-known around the
world and continues to attract gastronomes alike. In Taiwan, cooking
techniques from all areas of China have merged, and the Taiwanese do
not only master the traditional local Chinese specialties, but also
continuously use traditional techniques to develop new culinary
treats. It is therefore that each year Taiwan attracts many tourists
who come to savor these Chinese specialties, ranging from small
steamed buns to water-boiled dumplings. Traditional Chinese food to be
found in Taiwan, next to Taiwanese and Hakka-style dishes, mainly
includes dishes from from Fujian, Guangdang, Jiangxi, Shanghai, Hunan,
Sichuan and Beijing.
Following we'll give an introduction to the characteristics and
different cooking styles of dishes from each region :
-
Taiwan : Natural
original flavors are preserved and there is a focus on light, fresh
and simply flavored dishes, influenced by the Dutch and Japanese, raw
and slightly water-scalded food is widely accepted.
-
Fujian : Dominated
by seafood, preferably steamed, mainly light, sweet, and sour
flavorings.
-
Guangdong : Great
variety of ingredients, focus on light, fresh, smooth, sweet, tasty
and tender dishes, main methods of food preparation consist of frying,
baking, stir-frying, steaming, and boiling.
-
Jiangxi : Focus on
original flavors, main methods of food preparation consist of stewing,
braising, steaming, stir-frying, and cooking, for all of which
temperature control is the most important aspect, flavors are light
but do not lack taste, bones are removed while keeping shapes intact,
although smooth and tender dishes have kept their taste.
-
Shanghai : Dishes
breathing international fame originate here, local flavors are adhered
to and dishes are mostly oily, drowning in sauce and brightly colored.
-
Hunan : Sour, hot,
and rich flavors are the secret behind the popular dishes from this
area, a well-known specialty is the smoked bacon, dishes from Hunan
and Sichuan show some similarities as many are hot-flavored because of
the use of large amounts of red pepper.
-
Sichuan : Ffamous
for its hot-flavored dishes as preferably dried and fresh red pepper
is used during preparation, fish and other seafood is favored,
extremely popular among those who favor strongly-flavored food.
-
Beijing : A
combination of flavors from all corners, magnificently and delicately
prepared, dishes combine color, shape, flavor, and nutrition, and are
mostly light and tender.
-
Hakka : Dried and
preserved materials form important ingredients of the Hakka kitchen;
dishes are mostly strongly flavored (burnt, flavored, well-done,
salty, fat).
Next to these Chinese
delicacies, the enormous variety of typical Taiwanese snacks is unique
in the world and most perfectly illustrates the important place that
the food culture takes into the lives of the Taiwanese people. Famous
and unique Taiwanese snacks range from oyster omelets to fried rice
noodles, tempura, Tainan Tan-tze noodles, Taiwanese spring rolls, rice
tube pudding, and braised pork rice. Food is cheap and delicious, and
by no means inferior, while each specialty gives you an insight in the
people of the area it originates from. Typical Taiwanese snacks are
found everywhere, but Taiwan's night markets in particular, each night
market having its own traditions and characteristics, are the places
where these snacks can be found in abundance. Trying out these snacks,
tourists will be able to learn about different specialties, cultures
and people from different areas, adding a whole new perspective to
traveling.
Famous night markets in Taiwan
|
Night Market |
Characteristics |
Location |
|
Æ |
Keelung
Night Market |
The cuisine in
Keelung Temple street night market is very famous, for example:
pot-edged pancake soup, shaved ice, Tenpura, fried sandwiches,
bean noodle thick soup,and shrimp Taiwanese balls. |
The cuisine stands
on Ren 3rd Rd. near the Dianji Temple in Keelung City and on Ai
4th Rd. |
| Æ |
Shihlin Night Market |
There are various
cuisine in the night market, including steak, Teppanyaki,hot
stuffed dumplings, little cake wrapped in big cake, sliced
noodles, lever soup, squid thick soup, oyster omelets & etc. |
Along Wenlin Rd., Da
E. Rd., and Anping Rd. |
|
Æ |
Raohe Street Night
Market |
This is the first
tourist night market in Taiwan, and the total length is about
600 meters. There are many herb-steamed sparerib restaurants
here, which provides a good opportunity for nourishment in
winter. |
Intersection of Sec.
4, Bade Rd. and Fuyuan St.in Taipei City to Ciyou Temple on
Bade Rd. |
| Æ |
Huaxi Night Market |
This is the most
famous tour night market in Taiwan, which attracts many
foreigners and natives for sightseeing. The famous cuisine
includes snake meal and snake wine, pot-edged pancake soup,
salty rice pudding, fresh water turtle meal, seafood, etc. |
Between Xiyuan Rd.
and Huanhe S.Rd. in Taipei City. |
| Æ |
Jingmei Night Market |
Many vendors and
shops selling hardware, cassettes, clothes, and accessories are
gathered in the 30-years-old Jing-mei old street. Moreover,
there is a "Jing-mei Public Market" of various food and beverage
stands and shops on Jing-mei new street. |
Jingmei St., Taipei |
|
Æ |
Tonghua Street Night
Market |
You can go eating
and shopping at the same time. There are plenty of groceries
sold on Linchiang Street, the way to get there is to go on
Keelung Road and turn to Linchiang Street, then pass Tong-hua ,
which is the part with stores of clothes and quilts. |
Between Sec. 4,
Shinyi Rd. and Sec. 2, Jilung Rd. in Taipei City. |
| Æ |
Lianning Night
Market |
The famous cuisine
includes goose, seafood, rice tube pudding, sandwich from Middle
East, oyster omelets, marinated vegetables and meat. Besides,
the alleys near Liou-Ning Street stand many featured coffee
shops and restaurants. That's why this area is named "coffee
street" |
Between Changan E.
Rd. and Jungshing senior high school in Taipei city. |
| Æ |
Hsinnan Night Market |
A night market with
wide road and neat stores, there are various shaved ice stores
here, which forms the main feature of the market. Moreover,
there are many grocery stores selling various kinds of
low-priced goods in this market. |
Consist of Shinyi
St. and Lane 410, Jingshin St. inJunghe city, Taipei |
| Æ |
Hsinchuan Night
Market |
The cuisine here
like mushroom and meat thick soup,red bean cake, Taiwanese
meatballs, cake,oyster thin noodles,shrimp thick soup are talked
by everyone's libs.The trace of hundred years of history is
hidden among the streets and alleys,for example,ancient
remains,and shops of hundred years like blacksmith workshop,to-fu
factories, old brand cake store&etc. |
Situated on the back
of the Hsin - Chuan junior high school, on Hsin - Chuan Rd, Hsin - Chuan
city,Taipei |
| Æ |
Nanya Night Market |
There's a
30-years-old ceremonial arch in the entrance of the market, the
position of the stores are settled neatly here. Among them, most
are food stores, only few are clothes and grocery stores. |
In Nanya E. Rd.,
Banchiau City,Taipei |
| Æ |
Hsinming Night
Market |
Almost all of the
stores are of history. Visitors can try various snacks and buy
noted products of Taiwan here. All kinds of hardware, groceries,
Hong Kong and Korean clothes, shoes, hats, stockings are
available here. |
On Shinming Rd.
between Jungyang W. Rd. and Mintzu Rd. in Jungli City, Taoyuan |
| Æ |
Chenghuang Temple
Night Market |
Most of the old
stands in Cheng-huang Temple are of 50-years-old history, the
famous snacks here are Hsin-chu meat balls, pork balls, spring
rolls, braised pork rice, cuttlefish thick soup, rice noodles,
and cow tongue shaped cakes. |
Cheng-huang Temple
and falian shrine square |
| Æ |
Chunghua Night
Market |
It gathers all kinds
of Taiwan cuisines,including tawanese snacks,Taichung meatballs,
spring rolls,angelica ducks ,oystur omelet,stirifried cuttlefish
broth,meat thick soup , rice pudding , Singapore sparerib soup. |
On Junghua Rd. , near
Gungyuan Rd. and Mintzu Rd.,Taichung |
| Æ |
Tunghai VillaHight
Market |
The stores are fixed
here, most of them offer food and beverage, others offer clothes
and daily necessities here. There's an "Art Street" On the Kuo
-chi
Street aparted from Tung-hai Villa by Chung-kang Road, the shops
on the street are very unique, which are antique shops, tea
shops, and coffee shops. |
The hottest section
is the intersection of Dungyuan Lane and Shinshing Rd. in
Thichung City. |
| Æ |
Fengchia Night
Market |
"Low prise,all
included"is the main feature,and it sells various of
cuisines,clothes and accessories. |
On Fushing Rd. ,
Fengjia Rd.and Wenhua Rd. , between Sec . 2 , Shituen Rd. and
Shian St. ,Taichung |
| Æ |
The food of Lugang |
The cuisines of
Lugang includes seafood like sturgeon, eel, oyster, atoad,
huatiao fish, bivalve, river shrimp, and Chinese oyster, and
deseert like bird-eye cake, lard cake, cow tongue shaped cakes ,
shortcake , peanut candy, Chinese bread&etc. Among these shops,
Yu-chen chai had operated from Ching dynasty for one hundred
years. |
Lugang Jen, Changhua |
| Æ |
Wenhua Night Market |
Thousand of venders
gather here,and there are various cooked cuisine. Among these
cuisines, "fountain chicken rice","Kuo-jing-chen flat noodles
soup"and"fried preserved cabbage and shrimp egg"are the famous
dishes. |
At fountain traffic
circle on Jungshan Rd. extend to Chuei-yang Rd., Chiai |
| Æ |
Hsjaopei Night
Market |
This night market is
nice and neat, and every stand has it's own number. There are
many kinds of cuisine, including sea food, coffin cakes,
pot-edged pancake soup, Eel noodles, spear fish simmered by soy
bean sauce and sugar, thick soup of meat, sticky tofu. |
At the intersection
of Shimen Rd. and Lin - an Rd.,Tainan |
|
Æ
|
Liuhr Night Market |
Dainties of all
lands and seas, food and beverage, special products are all
available here, and the plentiness of flavorful food of Liu-hr
Night Market is famous in Taiwan. Among these cuisine, papaya
milk, salt-steamed shrimp are the main feature. |
Liu-hr Rd.,Kaohsiung |
| Æ |
Hsinshing Night
Market |
There are many
cuisines in the night market. Besides, clothes shops, shoes
shops get very closely here, many shops and stands have
twenty-years-old history, like liao-li sparerib soup,fried
mutton, mushroom and meat thick soup of pei-gang&etc. |
Nanhua Rd.,Kaohsiung |
| Æ |
Mintsu Rd. Night
Market |
This night market
has history for seventy years,and it is the paradise for
gluttons.The cuicide includes spearfish thick soup, mushroom and
meat thick soup,meatballs of Pingtung,vegetarian gelatin,stick
rice dumping,refreshed taro&etc. |
On Mintzu Rd., under
Fushing Rd. bridge , in Pingtung City |
| Æ |
Luotung
Night Market |
The native cuisines
including salty rice macaroni ,smoked ducks, meat thick soups,
lung-feng legs ,tofurolls, thick rice noodles ,seafood , sausage
stuffed pork and sweet potato powder, sausage stuffed tofu,oystur
omelet&etc |
At the center of
Luodung Jen and around Jungshan Park in Yilan County |
Tea sampling in Taiwan is
like wine-tasting in the West. The quality of tea is extremely
important and varies with the different producing areas, and tea
picking, drying, roasting, storing and brewing methods. Although
Oolong tea might well be the most popular tea in Taiwan, other
varieties such as Iron Buddha tea, Paochung tea and Lungching tea are
also widely available. Tea is produced in five main areas, namely
Northern Taiwan, the area that covers Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli,
Central-Southern Taiwan, Eastern Taiwan and the high mountain areas.
Those who would like to do some tea sampling of their own, should
consider visiting some interesting places such as the tea houses of
Maokung in Taipei City and Jiufen in Taipei County, the tea museum in
Pinglin, and the Luku tea garden in Nantou County. |
Gourmet Guide
