If you find yourself winding through the labyrinthine rows of stalls in Taipei’s Shilin Night Market – taking in the intoxicating aromas, sizzling sounds of grills, and gorgeous displays – you might believe you’ve gone to heaven. Taiwan’s street food scene is that good.
However, you don’t need to buy a plane ticket to enjoy the country’s cornucopia of delicious offerings. In many cases, you can find these delicacies in your home city (like the ubiquitous, beloved bubble tea). And in cases where these food items seem out of reach, you can make them at home using ingredients from your local Asian grocer.
This article explores the riches of Taiwanese street food so you can enjoy it yourself. Below, find the vast world of Taiwanese eats broken down into three digestible categories: Savoury offerings, sweet treats, and everyone’s favourite, bubble tea.
The Wide World of Savoury Taiwanese Street Food
If you’re entering a traditional market in Taiwan with an empty stomach, you might start with the savoury stuff first. Luckily, there is a lot to choose from. Taiwan borrows cuisine types from across China, and is similarly influenced by Japanese cuisine, making it a diverse encapsulation of East Asian foodways. Some classic street food offerings include:
- Gua Bao: Taiwan’s answer to the hamburger, this is a soft, steamy bun stuffed with braised pork belly and pickled mustard greens.
- Scallion Pancakes: Crispy and flaky, this Chinese food staple is good on its own, or the perfect vessel to sop up a saucy Taiwanese dish.
- Taiwanese Sausages: Slightly sweet and intensely savoury, these grilled bites are often part of a larger meal.
- Iron Eggs: Stewed in a soy sauce mixture, these eggs are the perfect nibble for a trip around the night market.
If you can’t access these delicacies in your area, look for Taiwanese recipes online to make them easily at home.
All About Bubble Tea: The Local Classic with an International Presence
Alternatively, many people brush right past the savoury stalls in Taiwan in search of the country’s de facto national drink: bubble tea.
The classic bubble tea consists of irresistible, perfectly sweetened milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls. However, modern interpretations use several other bases and toppings in their stead. You can order jasmine milk tea, matcha milk tea, chocolate hazelnut milk tea, fruit teas, slushies and a bevy of other bases. And you can further personalize your drink with toppings like grass jelly, coconut jelly, popping boba and pudding. However you customize it, bubble tea is a feast for all the senses.
Finding quality bubble tea near you should be a cinch. Beloved Taiwanese brands like Chatime have a robust international presence; just look up Chatime bubble tea shops in your area.
An Introduction to the Sweet Treats of Taiwan
To cap off your tour of the Taiwanese night markets, save room for dessert. The country has a noted sweet tooth, and offers several sweet confections to choose from. Consider the following desserts:
- Wheel Cake: Also known as “imagawayaki,” this gorgeously soft cake is stuffed with sweet bean curd, custard or chocolate.
- Pineapple Cake: This tropically inspired dessert features a buttery crust paired with sweet pineapple jam.
- Grilled mochi: wearing their Japanese influence, Taiwanese vendors offer this chewy mochi treat grilled until slightly charred and dusted with powdered sugar.
Visit a local Taiwanese restaurant or Chatime bubble tea shop to try the delicious street food staples listed above. If you can’t find anything on this list, consider experimenting in the kitchen to produce your own take on these night market classics.
