In this article, we explore what to eat in Taiwan. We will describe our favorite dishes and what we recommend eating in Taiwan, including main dishes, street food, desserts, and even drinks.
Taiwan’s cuisine is a fusion of different cuisines, with influences from China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the indigenous people of the Island. This creates a vibrant and diverse cuisine. Street food is a vital aspect of its food scene, and it is considered one of the best in the world.
Come with us to explore what to eat in Vietnam and its traditional dishes!
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What you should know about Taiwanese food
Taiwanese cuisine is diverse and a melting pot of dishes from different countries. Primarily, it has a significant Chinese influence due to historical migration from various regions of China to Taiwan. It also has a Japanese influence, as Taiwan was under Japanese rule during the colonial period (1895-1945), as seen in the techniques and some dishes.
In recent decades, the influences of Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam, have become more pronounced due to immigration.
Like in other Asian countries, rice and pork are staple ingredients; however, Taiwan has a unique take on its cuisine. Due to its tropical and subtropical climate, Taiwan boasts various tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya, bananas, and fresh vegetables. Additionally, seafood and fish are abundant on the coast, so they are widely used.
Taiwan is also the birthplace of bubble tea, which has become popular worldwide and is famous for its high-quality oolong tea.
However, discussing Taiwan’s cuisine without referring to the night market scene is like discussing Italian cuisine without mentioning pizza. Night markets in Taiwan are iconic, offering various memorable street food options.
Taiwan has some of the best food night markets in the world and is among the best places to eat. Moreover, street food in Taiwan is king—the go-to choice for dining.
Famous night markets in Taiwan
Taiwan night markets are packed with street food and offer a wide variety. You will find anything, from buns to dumplings, deep-fried seafood, crackling pork belly, impressive desserts, and more elaborate things that require sitting down and eating. You will find whatever your heart desires and more.
Although we haven’t been to all the countries in the world, Taiwan has the most impressive night markets. These markets come alive after sunset, and besides food, you can also find clothing and souvenirs.
Some of the biggest and most popular night markets in Taiwan are:
- Raohe Night Market (Songshan District, Taipei): One of the oldest night markets in Taipei, famous for its pepper buns, referred to below. It was our favorite night market in Taiwan. It is the ideal place to eat but doesn’t offer much regarding clothing.
- Shilin Night Market (Shilin District, Taipei): This is Taiwan’s largest and most famous night market. Here, you will find food, games, and shopping stalls. There is also a large underground food court.
- Keelung MiaoKou Night Market (Ren’ai District, Keelung): this night market is renowned for its seafood offerings. Popular dishes include crab soup, grilled squid, oyster omelets, shrimp rolls, fish ball soup, and deep-fried seafood. The market is also by the colorfully Dianji Temple, which is well worth visiting.
- Wusheng Night Market (Tainan): is a medium-sized night market packed with good street food. Popular items include grilled squid, fried chicken, stinky tofu, sweet potato balls, and braised pork rice. The market also has various traditional carnival-style games and vendors selling clothes, accessories, and other goods.
Besides the night markets, we have to refer to some iconic streets that don’t have a dedicated area filled with food stalls that come alive exclusively at night but are dedicated to street food and are packed with street vendors. We must refer to Tamsui Old Street, Jiufen Old Street, and Shifen Old Street.
Typical Taiwanese Breakfast
If you’re like us and love breakfast food, you won’t want to miss Taiwanese breakfast. It was an exciting experience for us Westerners, as the food differs greatly from European staple breakfast. It was fascinating to explore different foods and ingredients. Plus, Taiwan has a thriving breakfast culture, with plenty of breakfast joints, and it seems common for people to eat breakfast on the go or at food stalls.
That being said, we will explore some of the most common breakfast foods we encountered and loved:
- Besides milk tea, the most popular drink in Taiwan, rice milk is a common breakfast beverage. It is made by blending cooked rice with water and then straining the mixture. Rice milk is very satisfying and nutritious.
- Dan Bing is an egg crepe resembling a thin pancake with different fillings, such as eggs, green onions, and cheese.
- Shaobing is a layered, flaky flatbread with a crispy exterior. You are supposed to stuff it with different ingredients like eggs, vegetables, or youtiao. On its own, it is very dry.
- Youtiao – are deep-fried dough sticks. They are very crispy and dry, so you should eat them with different sauces or inside shaobing. Some people say they are used to dipping in soy milk.
- Soy milk is more like a soup than a drink; it can be hot or cold, savory or sweet. In the savory option, you can add soy sauce, sesame oil, and sometimes chopped green onions and pickles. And you are supposed to eat it with a spoon.
- Other breakfast dishes include sticky rice balls, steamed buns, soup dumplings, green onion cake, and steamed buns.
When going to a breakfast restaurant, remember that there are usually takeaway and dine-in lines. You order different dishes, and the fillings are typically added at a serving table. And don’t worry—breakfast can be enjoyed at any time of the day.
Taiwanese Street Food
Stuffed Chicken Wings
Stuffed Chicken Wings, also known as pregnant wings, is a famous Taiwanese street food. You can find them everywhere, especially in Jeufen. Oh, and what a delight they are. They are so original and tasty.
They are deboned chicken wings stuffed with fried rice under the wings’ outer skin intact. They are well-seasoned with a delicious sauce and barbequed. At the end, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Resulting in a juicy and spicy snack. Depending on the region and vendor, the stuffing and seasoning may vary slightly.
Being an ideal street food because you can eat it with your hands. And a whole meal with chicken and rice
Sausage with sticky rice
Sausage is a common street food in Taiwan. Different types of sausage are available, but the most frequent ones are pork sausages. Sausage with sticky rice has the whole package, a meal packed in one. Basically, it consists of a pork sausage (usually) wrapped in sticky rice alongside other seasonings like garlic, ginger, pickled cucumber, or other pickles.
The sausage and sticky rice are grilled, then the sticky rice is cut open to add the sausage and other seasoning. You eat everything like it’s a hotdog bun. It is so satisfying.
Dumplings
Talking about dumplings in Taiwan is entering a world of rich culinary traditions. A wide variety of dumplings are cooked in different ways, formats, and fillings. Although they originated in China, Taiwanese dumplings blend Chinese and local flavors.
Dumplings are pieces of dough with savory fillings. They can be boiled, pan-fried, steamed, or served as soup dumplings. The fillings include pork and cabbage, pork and chives, shrimp and pork, or vegetarian options. They are meant to be dipped in a sauce that can be soy sauce and vinegar, chili and oil, or sesame paste.
We advise you to try as many as possible with different formats and fillings; you can’t go wrong. I mean, some are better than others, but it is mostly a matter of personal taste.
Dumplings are simply comfort food and can be found everywhere in night markets, specialized restaurants, and shopping centers. They are an integral part of Taiwan’s food scene.
Deep-fried seafood
You can find a wide variety of deep-fried seafood in Taiwan’s night markets. You’ll be amazed by the possibilities and the seafood used, from shrimp to crabs, squid, and even oysters. These are coated in a batter made from flour and cornstarch and deep-fried in hot oil.
They are served with various seasonings, such as lime or salt, five-spice powder, curry powder, and a spicy dipping sauce. Some street vendors don’t season them unless you ask, and they can be tasteless without seasoning.
Some seafood, like crab and shrimp, are even deep-fried with the skin. The skin is deliciously crunchy and dry without being too oily, and the meat is tender. We loved the fried shrimp; they are incredibly addictive.
Scallion Pancakes (Chong zhua bing)
Scallion pancakes are another ubiquitous street food in Taiwan. They are savory flatbreads that are pan-fried or deep-fried, made with a batter of flour and finely chopped scallion. They are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a strong but pleasant scallion flavor slightly seasoned with salt and pepper. They usually are thin, but it depends on the cook.
They can be served simple or added with a fried egg or cheese. These are a crowd pleaser, and you can’t go wrong with them.
Oyster Omelet
Oyster omelet is another staple of Taiwan’s street food. It is made with eggs, fresh oysters, and potato starch to thicken the sauce. It is served with a sweet and spicy tomato sauce and can be garnished with bean sprouts. It has a slimy and sticky texture with bits of chewy oyster.
This dish is influenced by the Hokkien people, but it can be found in other Asian countries. If you love oysters, you have to try this dish.
Quail Eggs
Quail Eggs are a simple ingredient, but you can’t go to Taiwan and not try them. They are done in grills that resemble the Japanese Takotaki maker and served on skewers. There are different variations, some with shrimp or other ingredients.
They are so cute and surprisingly tasty.
Pepper Bun (Hú Jiāo Bǐng)
Pepper buns are iconic street food in Taiwan, and they are especially renowned at the stall Fuzhou Ancestor Pork Pepper Buns in Raohe Street Night Market. It is well worth waiting in the long queue to eat these buns, which are to die for when hot.
They are wheat buns made with minced pork mixed with a special seasoning, onions, and scallions and topped with sesame seeds. They are stuck onto the walls of a cylindric clay oven and cooked for 10 minutes. They are crunchy and soft, with a flavorful pepper taste and slightly smoky flavor. Although they have plenty of pepper, they aren’t very spicy hot. They are one of our favorite Taiwanese street foods.
Coffin Bread
Coffin Bread is a fun and distinct street food. As its name suggests, it resembles a coffin made with fried bread. The interior is removed and filled with meat, seafood, or vegetable chowder. The bread is slightly sweet and comes with the top of a cavity so you can dip it in the filling. It comes in different sizes, big or small.
It is very easy to eat in the streets and quite practical. Its flavor varies according to the filling, and there are several variations. We ate with meat chowder, which wasn’t memorable, but I think we were unlucky.
Main dishes to eat in Taiwan
Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan)
Braised Pork is a beloved dish in Taiwan. It is the epitome of comfort food. It consists of minced or small chunks of pork belly braised in a savory and slightly sweet sauce, served over a bowl of steamed white rice. Sometimes, it comes with a boiled egg, or/and tofu, or some vegetables.
This dish is everywhere in night markets, street food stalls, and restaurants. We were amazed at how cheap and tasty it was the first time we ate it. The whole thing is a burst of flavor: the white rice is infused with the taste of the meat and its sweet sauce. This is one dish that you have to eat while in Taiwan.
Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)
Beef Noodle Soup is Taiwan’s national dish, which is praised and adored. It is a rich and savory soup made with beef broth (cooked for hours), braised beef, noodles, and various vegetables like bok choy, carrots, scallions, and cilantro. It contains spices like garlic, ginger, star anise, and five-spice powder. It is delicious, savory, and spicy.
You can easily find it all over Taiwan, and there will be many variations. But normally, it is very good. Be aware: If you don’t like spicy food, choose a less hot version.
Hot Pot (huo guo)
Like in other Asian countries, hot Pot is a big deal in Taiwan. Like Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. Hot pot is a communal dining experience that is good for eating with a group of people. It is a fun and tasty meal. Hot Pot consists of cooking raw ingredients: meat, vegetables, tofu, dumplings, and seafood in a boiling pot of broth in the middle of the table over a portable stove. The cooked ingredients are then dipped in various sauces before being eaten.
Taiwan has several restaurants specializing in Hot Pot, particularly in Taipei. Some of the most famous food chains are Haidilao and Tripod King. We ate hot pot at a restaurant in Tainan called How-chou Shacha Hot Pot Zhongshan, which we loved. The staff was so patient and explained everything, and the food was delicious.
Sweets and Desserts You Must Try in Taiwan
Pineapple cake
Pineapple cake is a famous Taiwanese sweet and a symbol of prosperity. As such, it is a popular souvenir and gift. The cake resembles a biscuit with a buttery, crumbly crust and a sweet pineapple filling. Typically, it is square or rectangular, but it can also come in other shapes, such as cats or other cute designs.
Taiwan started making this cake as a way to utilize pineapples, as they are a significant producer. However, we didn’t find pineapples being sold in the markets.
Pineapple cakes are a common gift and can be found everywhere, even at the airport. The most famous brands are Chia Te and Sunny Hills.
Peanut ice-cream roll
The peanut ice cream roll is proof that the Taiwanese are creative. This unique and surprising dessert combines different textures and sweet and savory flavors.
It consists of two scoops of ice cream, which can be peanut or other, topped with shaved peanut brittle and cilantro wrapped in a thin layer of a crepe-like wrapper made with flour and water. It is fresh, and the combination of flavors is so good. The cilantro may seem weird in a dessert, but it is surprisingly good, giving it a fresh taste.
Peanut ice cream rolls are a popular street food, so you can easily find them everywhere. We ate one when we visited Shifen, a beautiful old town in Taiwan, and it was amazing.
Red Bean Wheel Cakes
Red Bean Wheel Cakes are a popular sweet at night markets and street vendors. Their name comes from the fact that they resemble a wheel with a thick, round shape. They are similar to the Japanese dessert Imagawayaki.
They are made of waffle pancakes, butter, milk, eggs, and sugar and are traditionally filled with sweet azuki red bean paste. However, there are plenty of other fillings, such as custard, taro, chocolate, and matcha. They are cooked in a special cast iron pan.
They are delicious and smooth, not very crunchy, and they are to die for when hot.
Taro Balls Soup
Taro Balls soup is a unique dessert in Taiwan. Imagine a sweet soup made with taro and sweet potatoes topped with red beans; that is basically this desert. It is especially iconic in Jiufen, Taiwan, and the most famous place to eat this dessert is Grandma Lai’s Taro Balls shop.
The dessert is made with steamed taro root and sweet potato, which are mashed and mixed with potato starch and sugar to form a dough rolled into balls. They are orange and purple. It is served with light ginger syrup and topped with red beans, boba, grass jelly, tofu, puddings, peanuts, etc. It can be cold or hot. When cold, it is served over shaved ice. You also have the savory version if you wish.
We ate taro ball soup in Jiufen, which was a fun experience. It was a bit out of our comfort zone but good. It is also very filling, and you won’t need lunch.
Best drinks of Taiwan
Bubble Tea (Boba Tea)
Bubble tea originated in Taiwan in the 1980s and is the most famous Taiwanese drink in the world. The world loves bubble tea, but the Taiwanese love it more. You will see hundreds of tea houses with bubble tea; people drink it everywhere at any time. Actually, tea in Taiwan is like coffee in the rest of the world.
Bubble tea is made with black tea (although you can find it with green or oolong tea), milk, sugar, and tapioca balls known as boba. Tapioca pearls are made from tapioca starch. They are chewy and sweet. You sip the tea and the tapioca through a thick straw.
When ordering a bubble tea, you can choose the quantity of sugar (but honestly, it is better with the normal quantity of sugar), the quantity of ice, and the type of milk. It can also be hot or cold. But according to experience, if it is hot, don’t order tapioca pearls, or else they will be soft and soggy.
There are different variations with matcha milk or fruit tea, but the most amazing is the Brown Sugar Milk Tea, with brown sugar syrup used to coat the tapioca pearls and line the cup, adding a rich caramel flavor.
As for where to drink, we honestly think that at this point, there are so many quality places that it doesn’t matter; they were almost all good for us who aren’t specialists. But if you want to go to the place of origin, two tea houses claim to have invented bubble tea: Chun Shui Tang in Taichung and Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan.
Oolong Tea
Although Oolong Tea didn’t originate in Taiwan, but in China, Taiwan’s diverse climate and mountains are ideal for tea cultivation. The Taiwanese have also developed distinct methods and styles for making tea. Making Taiwan’s Oolong tea of prime quality and distinct flavors
Oolong tea is partially oxidized, between green tea (unoxidized) and black tea (fully oxidized). Taiwan’s primary tea production regions are Alishan, Lishab, Dong Ding, and Wenshan. As we explained before, Taiwan has a strong tea culture, with thousands of tea houses. Some are high-end, and others are just grab-and-go shops. So, drinking oolong tea has to be on your bucket list when visiting Taiwan.
Be aware that some teas are very expensive. High-quality Oolong Tea can range from $30 to $100 per 100 grams. But you can also find cheaper and lower-quality products. If you are a tea lover, you must buy some tea boxes as a souvenir; they are beautiful and well-designed.
Papaya milk
Papaya milk is a well-loved drink in Taiwan. It is also popular in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. Made from milk, ripe papaya, and sometimes ice, it is refreshing and thick, with a strong flavor. It is very pleasant.
You can easily find it in night markets, juice stands, and cafes, especially during summer. Note that you should drink it right after you buy or make it, as it can become bitter if not consumed quickly.
Exploring Taiwan’s food is like taking a delicious journey through its culture. From the hustle of night markets to the comfort of a warm bowl of beef noodle soup, every dish has a story and a flavor to remember.
So, go ahead and dive into Taiwan’s vibrant food scene. Whether it’s a familiar taste or something new, you’ll leave with a whole heart and even a fuller stomach. Taiwan’s food isn’t just a meal—it’s an experience you won’t forget.
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