Taiwanese gastronomy
Some photos of Taiwanese gastronomy
Fragrant and innovative, Taiwanese gastronomy has experienced multiple influences throughout its history from Japan, the West, and especially China. Indeed, the majority of migrants who left the continent to populate Taiwan came from Fujian province (see History of Taiwan). The aromas emanating from dishes from today’s Taiwan evoke more distant but ultimately local traditions, a delicious blend of Chinese cuisine and the island’s Aboriginal and Hakka influences.
Taiwan’s geography plays an important role in the relationship the Taiwanese have established with their own cuisine. While typhoons and earthquakes can bring their share of challenges, the diversity of landscapes and altitudes grant Taiwan their benefits: mountains, valleys, basins, and plains allow rice paddies and a wide variety of vegetables and teas to grow on the territory. The island’s subtropical climate favors the cultivation of fruits (mangoes, bananas, etc.), while the ocean currents on both sides of the island attract large schools of fish. Aware of the importance of local products, the Taiwanese have developed technologies that have greatly improved the efficiency of their agriculture.
One of the main assets of Taiwanese gastronomy lies in its tolerance of its external influences: rather than rejecting elements that could link them to painful memories of their history, the Taiwanese have welcomed them with open arms, and seek to magnify them through their own art. It is therefore not impossible that you will find flavors from provinces such as Canton, Sichuan or Fujian, which the Taiwanese manage to revisit and magnify.
A true favorite subject of the Taiwanese, gastronomy occupies both physical and media space: trendy new restaurants are entitled to their television coverage, while it is possible to find something to eat on almost every street corner. New culinary trends are followed very closely by the population, which remains above all its best self-criticism: curious and demanding, the Taiwanese will always give relevant advice and opinions on their own cuisine. Night markets are also ideal places to take a quick tour of what the latest trends in Taiwanese cuisine have to offer, very much focused on small snacks to devour at any time of day.
The essentials of Taiwanese gastronomy
Beef Noodle Soup 牛肉麵
One of the few dishes where the greatest experts in the field compete to see who makes the best beef noodles. The dish even has its own festival. The advantage and disadvantage of wanting to try this dish in Taiwan is that you’re spoiled for choice! In fact, it’s almost possible to find it on every street corner, each time with variations in flavor depending on the chef: cooked in soy sauce, spicy… But also in price, when a bowl can sometimes cost more than €200… You’ll recognize the popularity of a particular restaurant by the queue of people waiting outside.
Our recommendation
Lao Shandong Homemade Noodles 老山東牛肉麺, located a 5-minute walk from Ximen MRT Station (intersection of MRT Lines 3 and 5) in Taipei, this small restaurant, which opened over 50 years ago, may not be easy to find, but it’s definitely worth a visit for its wide noodles and tender beef. It’s a popular restaurant with tourists from Hong Kong and Japan.
Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐
World-renowned and present in around fifteen countries, Din Tai Fung embodies the best in Chinese dumplings or xiaolongbao. But beyond dumplings, the restaurant offers a very high quality of service and taste, perhaps the best in Taiwan. With its extensive menu (nearly 100 different dishes), Din Tai Fung will awaken your appetite, whatever your desires: dumplings, sautéed vegetables, fried rice, noodle soups, broths… And if you have trouble choosing, you can ask at the reception desk for a server who speaks your language to come and advise you.
There are 7 Din Tai Fung restaurants in Taipei, one in Hsinchu, one in Taichung and one in Kaohsiung.
Bubble tea 珍珠奶茶
Conceived in Taiwan, but whose exact inventor remains unclear, bubble tea quickly became an iconic drink on the island and around the world. Originally a blend of tea and milk, to which tapioca pearls are added, it is the favorite refreshment of the Taiwanese. After its creation in the 1980s, it has since seen many variations, with coffee, small red beans in place of the pearls, etc. Small stalls selling this type of drink are commonplace in Taiwan and offer a welcome break, especially during periods of extreme heat.
Our recommendations
Chun Shui Tang 春水堂, the teahouse claiming to have invented bubble tea, which has retained its traditional style and offers a very extensive tea menu. These are very well represented, offering you a delicious immersion in Taiwan’s traditional tea culture. There are around 40 Chun Shui Tang teahouses across Taiwan, which also offer food on the menu.
Also worth trying (our favorite): Cha Tang Hui 茶湯會, also very popular in Taiwan, which offers more fragrant teas and sometimes quite exotic flavors. Its lattes and other Oolong teas are not to be missed.
Stinky tofu 臭豆腐
First, it’s a smell that invades the streets. It makes us wonder about its origin. And it initially provokes fear. And then we are finally led to understand that it’s a dish that the Taiwanese love. But how can they agree to eat something that smells so bad?
Depending on your level of curiosity and especially self-denial, you may be led to try stinky tofu, which is an integral part of the island’s culinary landscape. It is present in the majority of night markets and many restaurants offer it on the menu. If the question remains as to why human beings were led to eat a dish that smells so bad, it is necessary to try to project oneself into a culture that is not ours, and once past the barrier of unsavory fumes, tofu will have something to seduce you. Indeed, it comes in different forms, fried as well as steamed. And is always associated with a sauce as an accompaniment, just to vary the flavors. We advise you to try it spicy (mala tofu 麻辣豆腐) if the smell really bothers you, the spices attenuate it very effectively.
Stinky tofu is one of the many snacks you might try at night markets, as it is a delicacy for the Taiwanese.
A Taiwanese breakfast 台式早餐
While the importance of breakfast is recognized worldwide, it takes on a whole new dimension in Taiwan. Indeed, it is a priority, as evidenced by the countless restaurants dedicated solely to breakfast, and therefore open only from 6 a.m. until around noon. Here, we mix already widespread dishes (beef noodles, milk tea, etc.) with others more specific to Taiwanese breakfast, such as omelets, rice rolls and other savory pastries combined with simple drinks such as teas and soy milk. You can also find foreign-inspired dishes such as small sandwiches and hamburgers, which are perfect for Taiwanese people who eat breakfast quite early in the morning before going to work. Trying a Taiwanese breakfast is the guarantee of diving into the day ahead with a full head and stomach.