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Taiwanese cuisine, as a result of its geographical location and historical legacy, incorporates a wide range of flavors derived from Chinese cuisine but also incorporates garlic and soy sauce in large quantities to fashion its own distinct taste and style.
1. Beef Noodle Soup (Niu Rou Mian)
On every corner in Taiwan, you'll find a beef noodle soup stand. The most expensive bowl of beef noodle soup in the world can be found in Taipei, but there are also numerous affordable beef noodle restaurants. The dish is made from slow-cooked stewed or braised beef in a rich, dark broth with vegetables such as cabbage and scallions and thick, chewy noodles. It is made from stewed or braised beef in a rich, dark broth with vegetables such as cabbage and scallions and thick, chewy noodles.
2. Pork Belly Snack (Gua Bao)
In Taiwan, Gua Bao is a braised pork belly snack that includes rice wine and soy sauce, along with cilantro, pickled mustard greens, and crushed peanuts, and is served in steamed buns with the mantou puff. The buns themselves are soft, pillowy, and fluffy and easily distinguished from the pita bread version in the West.
3. Oyster Omelette (O-A-Chian)
A common example of Taiwanese food is o-a-chian, which can be considered a mix of food from the sea and the land. The omelet is prepared differently from western omelets because Taiwan uses sweet potato to make it thicker. Oyster omelettes are made up of eggs, juicy oysters, flour, bean sprouts, and lettuce. This meal is commonly served with sweet and sour chili and tomato sauce.
4. Marinated Pork Rice (lu rou fan)
It is a simple yet wonderfully tasty meal available in most local Taiwanese restaurants, wherein minced pork is served over freshly steamed white rice. Because it's so simple to prepare, lu rou fan is a common meal choice among local Taiwanese people. It comprises finely chopped pork belly slow-cooked in aromatic soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine with five spices, and pickled vegetables. Because the pork is tenderized, it is typically served alongside an extra soy sauce egg and pickled vegetables on steamed white rice. A number of other sides may also be included. It may be eaten as a complete meal or as the base of a meal that includes several other dishes.
5. Bubble Milk Tea (boba)
The world-famous bubble tea originated in Taiwan. The first cold-flavored milk tea was invented by a teahouse in Taichung in the early 1980s, and the addition of ingredients like starchier balls of flour, jelly, and cut fruit led to the creation of bubble tea. All kinds of cold milk teas are available at drink stands. It's the ideal meal companion when going to one of Taiwan's many night markets since you can have it hot or cold and with more add-ons like tapioca pearls, pudding, and fruit jellies.
6. Stinky Tofu
Taiwan does stinky tofu just right, but it’s actually tofu that has been fermented in a brine that usually includes meat, fermented milk, Chinese herbs, dried fish or shrimp, bamboo, mustard, and amaranth greens. The tofu is left to ferment for several months before being consumed.
7. Sausage in a rice bun (Taiwanese hot dog)
This is a Taiwanese version of a hot dog. Taiwanese pork sausages are sweeter than western sausages. Here, the glutinous rice bun is shaped like a hot dog with the sausage inside it. It is grilled over charcoal, brushed with a sweetened garlic soy sauce, and served with pickled vegetables and garlic.
8. Sanbeiji (3 cups chicken)
Sanbeiji, also known as three cups of chicken, is inspired by the Hakka origin story of creating the dish in China and introducing it to Taiwan. Sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, ginger, basil, and chicken are all used to make Taiwan's most famous dish, san bei ji. It is referred to as "three-cup chicken" because of its generous amount of sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine.
9. Lu Rou Fan (savory pork with egg)
Lu rou fan is a heaping bowl of savory pork stewed in rice served in a palm-sized bowl. The meal is typically served with a century egg (a tea-soaked boiled egg), but it may also be accompanied by mustard greens, roasted peanuts, or radishes, depending on the restaurant or street vendor. Our favorite Lu-Rou-Fan spots are Din Tai Fung and Lv Sang in Taipei.
10. Luwei (meats, tofu, and veggies)
Luwei is a common fixture at Taiwan's night markets. Snackers help themselves to various marinated meats, tofu, and vegetables, which are then cooked while customers wait. While it's simple to locate a luwei counter, one of the finest suppliers is Liang Chi Luwei in the Linjiang (Tonghua) Street Night Market.
