Taiwan represents fine food, lovely folks
and home sweet home. I was born, educated and enriched in Taipei and Kaohsiung,
and inevitably am attached to it no matter where I stay at or travel to. The
best timing to enjoy the family reunion is Chinese New Year Holidays, since the
weather is usually slightly sunny and around 20’c, and we can relax and
discover around our neighborhoods, where the hidden gems of good food always
are.
Tofu Pudding is Taiwanese national dessert
for all year round. Sometimes called Tofu Blancmange, it has a silky
melt-in-mouth texture. It’s made with silken tofu, soybean milk, almond
extract, and sugar or honey. It can be eaten either hot or cold in sugary
water, added with red beans, green beans, taro balls, peanuts or barleys to
enhance the flavor and nutrition. Holding great amount of fiber and calcium, by
eating tofu pudding or drinking soybean milk can reduce estrogen and
progesterone, and also lower the risk of suffering cardio diseases and
diabetes.
Steaming bun is also on my must-have-food list as well. It is traditionally a kind of dim sum, while prepared in xiaolong, a
small bamboo steaming basket, which gives the cuisine its name. Steaming bun originate from the
Shanghai and Wuxi regions of China. Buns can be made with leavened or
unleavened dough, that their skin is tender, smoother, and somewhat
translucent, rather than being white and fluffy. Steaming buns are traditionally
filled with pork, minced crabmeat, or vegetarian fillings. The most household
steaming bun restaurant in Taiwan is Ding-Tai-Fung, not only they serve the
most juicy steaming buns worldwide, but also release red bean and taro buns as the
alternative desserts after à la carte.
When we travel to Kenting, the southern
beach resort of Taiwan, along Kenting Boulevard is filled with special street
food stalls. Besides the tongue, the head, the neck, the claw of ducks, grilled
boar meat is the recommending specialty to try on. For the Taiwanese
aboriginals living in the mountain area, more or less at nowadays, they
systematically ‘cattle’ the boars and trade the meat in order to increase
themselves some extra income. Therefore, boar meat food stall is rarely seen in
the cities. Taiwanese boar meat usually get grilled on the stone palette heated
with coals, has more of a wild taste, much fatty and juicier; it is excellent
served with garlics, sleeks and Taiwan beer. A box of 100 grams is 100 NTD,
slightly costly but it’s worth trying.
Due to the geographical and historical
influence, it is easy to taste various authentic Japanese or Korean cuisines in
Taipei, Taiwan. When we step out from the cinema, my bro recommends Ootoya for
lunch(大戶屋, Literally means ‘Huge Mansion’ in Japanese). I order Hiroshima
deep fried oyster as main course, and red bean machi for dessert. Ordering a
combo set meal (定食in Japanese) is able to enjoy unlimited
rice and Japanese salad as service, which is a good deal for all of us.
In Korean food restaurant Tofu Village, the
tapas are also unlimited service. Unlike waitress serving at Ootoya, at Tofu
Village there is self-service refilling counter, for customers to decide the
amount of their sauces. Tofu Village is famous for Korean tofu hot pot and
seafood triangle patties (in Korean called gigimi,해물파전). Seafood triangle patties
are wrapped within shrimp, sleek, squid, egg and sugar, then get deep fried
until the whole roll turns crispy. We also like the triangle patties dipped
into Korean kimchi spicy sauce, which gives out the layering flavor of the
seafood. Additionally, the Korean hot tea, coffee and tofu ice cream are free
of charge as well. The 2-person meal totally costs 745 NTD (around 21,20 EUR,
service fee inclusive) and surely we are very happy!
How the yummy food is, the rich culture
represents. In Taiwan, on the streets, at the corner, or in the luxury
districts, you will definitely find something interesting but not too expensive
to excite your tongue buds and warm your empty tummy.
Welcome to Taiwan!
Special Thanks: Family Yuan, Family Chou
