My Favorite Taiwanese Foods (not to be confused with Thai food!)

Being a Canadian living abroad, many people innocently ask me, “What is Canadian food?” I rarely have a good answer but, to satisfy Foodie interrogators, I often resort to mentioning poutine and maple syrup.

The truth is, most Canadian diets seem to consist of other national dishes, such as American, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, and the like. Despite Canada’s international cuisine, however, I was completely ignorant of Taiwanese food —until rather recently.

Emigrating to Taipei, I was quickly acquainted with the fact that Taiwan is a particularly food-centric culture. Whereas in many countries, the national pastime may involve a sporting event, attending a musical performance, a dance gathering, or simply indulging in some alcoholic beverage, it seems that the Taiwanese recreation is to stroll through Night Markets and eat stuff.

Of course, Taiwan’s international claim-to-fame is the invention of Bubble tea (visitors can even visit the first bubble-tea shop in the world!), the list of famous Taiwanese foods in the Western world seems curiously vague.

Bubble tea

So what is Taiwanese food?

This article will attempt to provide a list of all the foods I personally enjoy, as well as those that are popular amongst locals or those passing through.

Regarding special diets: Adhering to a vegetarian diet in Taiwan is possible, though following a vegan diet may be tricky —especially if you do not speak Chinese or Taiwanese. In larger cities, there are numerous “health food” stores or larger department stores that sell organic items, especially in Taipei. The most notable examples are Carrefour and Jason’s Market. There are also fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway if you desire to eat something more familiar. Lastly, there are always convenience stores (7-11, Family Mart, etc).

For example, this photo represents my typical lunch for the first few months of my time in Taiwan. Fortunately, I graduated from surviving on 7-11. (sweet potato, egg/brown rice snack, fish and almonds snack)

THE MEALS

Beef Noodle (Niúròu miàn 牛肉麵)

• Typical ingredients: Taiwan Yellow Cattle, bone broth, optional veggies

Beef Noodle

This iconic Taiwanese dish owns its hype. When I first emigrated to Taiwan in 2016, I would not even profess to be a soup-person. Eventually, however, Beef Noodle won me over. There are many restaurants all throughout Taiwan that boast celebrity-status of their Beef Noodle dishes.

When available, I prefer “Niúròu dōngfěn” (牛肉冬粉), in which they substitute wheat-noodles for translucent “glass noodles” made from mung bean starch (less carb, same taste). Many restaurants use dōngfěn noodles, anyways, which resemble rice noodles.

Scanning a Beef Noodle menu, you often have to choose your meat cutting. Eating the soft tendons and ligaments can be a little weird, rather than the typical muscle and fat cuttings that foreigners are used to. It is definitely worth a try —and don’t shy away from bone broth (it’s the best part!).

Cold Noodles (Liáng miàn 涼麵)

• Typical ingredients: noodles, peanut sauce, optional meat, cucumber/carrot shavings

Don’t let the dull English translation dissuade you. Cold Noodles is another one of my favorite Taiwanese dishes, although there’s not much to it: just noodles, the distinguishable peanut sauce (often spicy), served cold with meat and vegetable shavings. Consider it the most delicious bowl of instant noodles you will ever eat. If you purchase this at a night market, you often have to add the sauce pouch the noodles yourself.

Boiled/Fried “Soup/Stew” (Lǔwèi 滷味)

• Typical ingredients: optional vegetables, and/or meat, and/or noodles

This Night Market item has something for everyone —because it’s entirely tailored to your own vegetable, meat, and noodle preferences. That said, depending on whether you have it boiled or fried, it can be classified as either a soup or stew.

First, grab a basket, a pair of tongs…and fill that basket up! When finished, present it to the vendor who will then cut the ingredients and either boil or fry your goodie-bag. You will be asked if you would like your Lu Wei spicy —and how spicy. In my experience, Taiwanese food is almost never too spicy, perhaps except the occasional spicy hotpot (as a caveat, I may have permanently burned my tastebuds years ago).

Typical vegetables in Lu Wei are broccoli, seaweed, mushrooms (both familiar and unfamiliar kinds), taro, cabbage, green beans, lettuce, and so on. Meats may include egg, octopus balls, fish balls, bacon, and then, of course, the stranger varieties of chicken hearts, guts, and pork liver —which, in my opinion, is less weird than tofu, which is also available.

Lu Wei is my go-to meal when unsure of what to eat. It’s healthy, tasty, and given the variety available, always something new. It is also a convenient choice for almost all strict diets, from vegan to keto.

“Pasta Rice Balls” (Chinese: Ròu yuán 肉圓 Taiwanese: Ba Wan 肉圓)

• Typical ingredients: optional vegetables, and/or meat, and/or noodles

This is a new favorite for me. It is also difficult to describe, though the texture is similar to Japanese mochi balls. If I may…picture two or three egg-sized, soft “pasta balls” (made of rice flour), floating in a bowl of slightly sweet sauce, lightly garnished with cilantro and possibly garlic. Upon puncturing the “pasta balls” with your fork, you are delighted to find pork and perhaps garlic chunks, significantly hotter than the outside ingredients.

Goat Rice (Yángròu fàn 羊肉飯)

• Typical ingredients: goat, rice, vegetables

This dish is another go-to, especially if you appreciate simple eating. Just goat, rice, and some additional vegetables. I always add a generous portion of spicy sauce, salt, and pepper. In my opinion, it seems a lot of Taiwanese dishes tend to be a little on the bland, subtle (sometimes “tasteless”) end of the spectrum compared to other ethnic foods. Therefore, I tend to go heavy on the salt and spices. That said, I could easily eat Goat Rice every day. It’s the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time!).

Fish Ball Soup (Yú wán tāng 魚丸湯)

• Typical ingredients: fish bone broth, green onion

Similar to Goat Rice, this subtle tasting soup may also be considered little bland, but it is still one of my personal staples. Perhaps that is because this particular bone broth makes me feel good.

Hotpot (Huǒguō 火鍋)

• Typical ingredients: vegetables and meat/seafood

Spicy hotpot

The devotion that Taiwanese people give to hotpot baffles me. It is literally boiled vegetables and/or meat in water. Of course, there are different versions of hotpot, including “spicy” hotpot and my own favorite “curry hotpot” (gālí huǒguō 咖哩 火鍋) but it always tastes similar to me —and more wholesome in a healthy way than delicious (or something I would crave).

Perhaps it is the preparation of the meal that appeals most to hotpot lovers. For example, each table has a personal cooking apparatus and customers, using tongs, cook the raw vegetables and meats themselves. Maybe this cooking ritual overcompensates for the fact that few (young) Taiwanese adults seem to cook at home.

That said, eating hotpot is never an in-and-out thing but requires about an hour from beginning to end. But no mistake, Taiwanese love hotpot. I regard it to be the national dish, which is why it is included here. The sheer tenacity of Taiwanese people flocking to hotpot restaurants and waiting in long queues is undeniable.

Chinese Medicine Ribs/Bone Soup (Yào dùn páigǔ 藥燉排骨)

• Typical ingredients: pork ribs, bone broth, goji berries, “Chinese medicine”

This soup is that wholesome bowl of goodness you need on a chilly evening—or any time you have a meat craving. In English, the broth is generically referred to as “Chinese Medicine”. You will notice trace amounts of various herbs and goji berries, the aroma of which is similar to licorice tea, faintly sweet, very tasty, and sometimes spiked with liquor. Like me, you may abandon the chopsticks and soup spoon and simply use your hands to clean the rib of its meat and gristle. Customers typically place the discarded bones right upon the table top.

Bag-of-Salad 鹹水雞

• Typical ingredients: vegetables and/or meats, lemon salad dressing, spices

Before I discovered any restaurants that actually provided inexpensive “Western-like” salads, these salad-stands were the only way I consumed raw vegetables. Basically, you indicate to the attendant what ingredients you would like, choosing from a wide range of vegetables and meats. Rather than boiling or frying as in Lǔwèi, however, the food-prepper will slice it, dice it, and jumble it raw into a transparent bag. After asking if you would like it spicy, (cayenne pepper and/or black pepper), a tart lemon dressing will be added and you will be equipped with a large, wooden “toothpick” poker to eat it as you continue walking about. I recommend adding the chicken hearts: they’re a little chewier than most meats, but not as weird as the chicken-butt shish kebab.

Pork/Rice (Lǔ ròu fàn 滷肉飯)

• Typical ingredients: rice, pork, “sweet sauce”

This is a classic Taiwanese dish that I highly recommend to foreigners, especially if their culinary taste is conservative. It is the perfect trifecta of fried rice, pork, and some sweet sauce. Enough said.

THE SNACKS

Taiwanese Spring Roll (Chūnjuǎn 春捲)

• Typical ingredients: sprouts, cabbage, flour wrap, pork

I suppose every culture has its pita-wrap/burrito equivalent. Here is the Taiwanese brand, though it translates as “spring roll” or “egg roll”. This light snack really hits the spot if you want to eat on-the-go, so it is ideal for Night Market meandering —which is where you will find it if you keep your eyes open. It’s a delightful combination of fresh, crunchy bean sprouts, warm soft cabbage stew, and slices of pork. The exterior shell resembles a soft crêpe, more than a quesadilla.

Fried Chicken and wedges (Xián sū jī 鹹酥雞)

• Typical ingredients: chicken, grease, fat, flavor

Of course, fried chicken tastes great everywhere. Even so, I am often dumbfounded by how good fried chicken tastes in Taiwan. That said, not all fried chicken is created equal. Whereas KFC is the go-to in places like Canada, in Taiwan the famous chain is “T.K.K. Fried Chicken” (Dǐngguāgū 頂呱呱), which are located throughout the island, as well as China and the United States.

That said, I have stumbled across one particular variety of fried chicken, I highly recommend. It centers around a unique seasoning, which I think tastes like cinnamon sugar —though it’s not. When you are at a Night Market, look out for that dark-brown sugar-crack…sprinkled on either fried chicken or wedges (potato or yam). It’s a delight to the senses.

Salted Pork Belly (Indigenous Hakka style) (Shān zhūròu 山豬肉)

• Typical ingredients: pork, optional garlic, optional hot sauce

Whoop whoop Hakka style! This dish may be on the far-end for some foreigners, but it is certainly worth a try. Created by the Hakka, one of Taiwan’s fourteen indigenous groups, this may be braised or grilled, and it is always a hedonistic, carnivorous pleasure. Evidently, I came across the idea of eating pork belly in the context of a ketogenic diet.

THE DESSERTS

Mango Shaved Ice (Mángguǒ bīng 芒果冰)

• Typical ingredients: ice, fruit, sugar

Arriving in Taiwan, you will quickly notice the rave about Mango Ice. Though I prefer ice cream and gelato, Mango Ice is very refreshing —and distinctly Taiwanese. It is particularly refreshing on a hot day and although mango is the thing to get, this dessert is available with nearly every kind of fruit known to humankind, including fruits you may not be familiar with. After all, Taiwan is dubbed the “Kingdom of Fruits”.

I admit that this particular photo looks like a bowl of house insulation (or tuna!). But it is neither. It is delicious.

Japanese Persimmon (Tián shì 甜柿)

I love this fruit, and it is not a tomato. Rather, it has the crunchy texture of an apple, but tastes more like papaya or watermelon…it is difficult to describe, but if you like the crunch of apples and the sweetness of papayas or watermelons, you cannot go wrong with a Wax Apple.

Steamed Rice w/ Peanuts or Coconut inside (Chinese: Juang Yun  Gao  狀元糕)

Perhaps, like me, the thought of eating rice does not excite you. Like Inuit describing hundreds of different varieties of snow, it seems that many people distinguish different rice dishes—as if it is an entirely different ingredient. This particular dessert is a point in case. Even before you sink your teeth into the soft gooey rice, and reach the desired goal of crushed peanuts or the sweet coconut sprinkles therein, it is quite impressive, on its own accord, to watch someone make it.

Sugar or “custard” Apple (Shìjiā 釋迦)

These fruits so ridiculously delicious that I am shocked they are not better known in the West. The only reason I can fathom for such obscurity is the question of its freshness when sold in Western Chinatowns. That, or maybe Westerns mistake them for being vegetables and not worthy of a sweet snack. In any case, I describe this “Buddha-head” shaped fruit as a cross between a pineapple and a pear: sweet, succulent, though somewhat expensive. Beware, however, some contain large black seeds inside. Like any fruit, try to eat it when it is actually in season.

Taiwanese Mangos (Mángguǒ 芒果)

Mango

A Taiwanese mango is, true to its reputation, a mouthful of sunshine. If you don’t eat a mango when you visit Taiwan, seek help.

Pineapple Cake (Fènglí sū 鳳梨酥)

• Typical ingredients:

This is easily Taiwan’s most famous dessert, as seen at the airport and in every tourist strip on this sweet-potato shaped island. I would describe it as a soft, chewy Fig Newton —minus the fig, with sweetened pineapple, instead. They taste amazing every time. They also make excellent gifts.

Pomelos (Yòuzi 柚子)

This fruit may not be the sweetest (or the easiest to consume), but they are enjoyable —and filling! One pomelo is easily enough for two people. To eat, you will need a knife to piece its orange-peel like exterior (this peel is often used by Taiwanese children as a toy-hat to play with). Next, remove the bitter skin that surrounds the juicy innards. There is a satisfying sound, and a fragrant mist, that results from peeling the rind. A few hours after eating this moderately sweet, slightly citrus fruit, you may understand its reputation for making people fart.

Peanut Tangyuan or Red Bean Soup (Huāshēng

tāng 花生湯 or Hóngdòu tāng 紅豆湯)

• Typical ingredients: peanut/red bean, sugary water, “balls”

There is no better to describe this dessert item but as a soup with hot, soft gelatinous little balls. Perhaps the phrase “hot, soft little balls” is enough to pique your interest. In Taiwan, you will notice a variety of red bean desserts and this hot soup with “hot, soft little balls” is my new personal favorite. After choosing either peanut or red bean, you will indicate what variety “balls” you like —tarot, sweet potato, sesame, and so on. Honestly, they all pretty much taste the same to me, but I like the sweet potato balls. Balls.

THE WEIRD

Stinky Tofu (Chòu dòufu 臭豆腐)

In all fairness, stinky tofu smells far worse than it tastes. To the endless amusement of Taiwanese folks, foreigners almost always get grossed out by its foul stench, which is often compared to stinky socks —or worse. As a rule of thumb, if you suddenly think you are walking over a smelly sewer hole, it is probably just someone cooking stinky tofu.

Pig Blood (Zhū xiě 豬血)

Granted, this sounds disgusting, yet it is not as bad as you may think. In truth, it will likely be more anti-climactic than astonishing, but it is still interesting enough to try. This chewy —yet slightly warm “pork popsicle” has a subtle savory taste, and not exactly akin to meat. Basically, there is no equivalent in the West except perhaps if “black pudding” was served on a popsicle stick.

Oyster Omelette (Hézǐ jiān 蚵仔煎)

• Typical ingredients: oyster, eggs, flour (for thickening)

This is yet another iconic dish, uniquely Taiwanese. The somewhat bizarre combination of oyster and egg omelet is reminiscent of other odd pairings (such as corn topping on pizza or apple milk). Of course, you have to already enjoy eating oyster to appreciate this dish —which may also be eaten for lunch or dinner. I would recommend going heavy on its signature, sweet brown sauce.