The unique characteristics of Taiwanese cuisine are closely related to the ethnic

diversity. Southern Fujianese dishes, flavors from all the other regions of China,
Hakka delicacies, and the special dishes of indigenous tribes are mixed and
adapted in the islands kitchens, with yet more variety added by the infusion of
foreign culinary traditions. Taiwan has everything from exquisite palace dishes
and fine foreign foods to innovative local creations. The constantly simmering
and metamorphosing culinary melting pot has brewed and stewed up the
irresistible, mouth-watering delights.

Taiwans Rice-food Culture

Taiwans Noodle Culture

Taiwans Tea Culture

Diversified Culinary Culture

Night-market Snacks

Special Local Delicacies

Food Safety Certification and Labeling

Taiwans Rice-food Culture

Rice is one of the staples of any meal in Taiwan. Over the years the island has
moved toward a culture of rice foods with varietal improvement producing highquality types of rice with varying textures and aromas. The organic cultivation
and traceability systems introduced in recent years have added to the safety and
value of rice foods in Taiwan.
In addition to using traditional cooking methods, most people will add local
ingredients to their culinary creations, bringing an alternative interpretation to
rice foods. Besides the delicious rice with marinated mincemeat or shredded
chicken, fried rice, rice with creamy toppings, rice noodles, and rice vermicelli,
todays cooks also take advantage of the characteristics of rice varieties to
concoct snacks such as turnip cakes, glutinous rice mochi, bamboo leaf-wrapped
tamale zongzi, and New Years cakes.
These rice snacks are used as sacrificial items
every time a festival rolls around, allowing the
God to enjoy them along with all men. In Taiwan,
rice is more than just food; it is a deeply rooted
culture.

Taiwans Noodle Culture

Most of the restaurants have noodle dishes on
their menus, and some of those dishes, like
danzai (carrying-pole) noodles and beef noodles,
have developed unique Taiwanese characteristics.
Most characteristics, perhaps, of the old-time
flavors (and friendly atmosphere) of Taiwan are
the Du Xiao Yue Danzai Noodles (
), where customers sit on low chairs around
low tables, eating noodles in small bowls and
chatting with the proprietor. Beef noodles are an
original Taiwanese popular food, and through the
compitition for Taipei International Beef Noodle
Festival in recent years, it has created a new
dining fashion that binds culinary culture together
with life.
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Taiwans Tea Culture

Taiwan has long been known for its
production of fine teas with a large range
of varieties. These teas are especially
notable for the richness of aroma and
sweetness. They are divided into four
major categories: Dongding Wulong (
), Wenshan Baozhong (),
Tie Guanyin (), and White-tipped
Wulong ( ), also known as
Oriental Beauty). Taiwan also produces
a relatively small amount of Assam tea.
In the lives of Taiwanese people, drinking tea is both common and special; it
can be served as a daily drink, or it can also be the beverage chosen to treat
special guests. This has led to the development of a unique feature of the islands
culinary culture: tea houses. The Maokong () area in Taipei has grown tea
since the old days, and today it is a popular destination for practicing tea arts
and observing night views of the city. Besides the traditional types of tea, unique
tea drinks have also been developed, among which, the pearl milk tea is most
popular even with foreign customers.
With the trend toward healthy living, Taiwans tea has diversified beyond a
beverage into a diverse range of products. This gives tea lovers more options;
tea leaves are now used, for example, in the making of various kinds of snacks,
pastries, and cakes, all with innovative tastes that will leave an unforgettable
flavor. The tea-boiled egg with strong aroma is one of the most popular tearelated products in Taiwan.

For a full understanding of the tea culture, you can visit the Tea Museum at
Pinglin in Taipei County. The museum exhibits all the facts about tea, its history
and artingredients, tea-plant varieties, categories of tea leaves, tea production
and marketing, distribution of tea farms in Taiwan, tea-processing tools of
the Tang and Song dynasties, tea processing down the ages, and modern teaproduction processes. The museum also has a multimedia room, a tea house, an
outdoor tea-tasting area, and a tea promotion area.

Pinglin Tea Museum: http://www.pinglin.tpc.gov.tw/tea.asp

Hours: Mon. to Fri.: 9:00 a.m.5:00 p.m.; weekends and holidays, 9:00 a.m.6:00 p.m.

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Diversified Culinary Culture

Taiwan is a great melting pot of Chinese and foreign cuisines, which are served
in an awesome variety of restaurants all over the island.

Taiwanese culinary culture embraces all of the traditions of ChinaBeijing,

Shanghai, Guangdong, Sichuan, southern Fujian, and the restand makes
refinements so that the Taiwan version is often better. Taiwanese food emphasizes
the natural features of the ingredients and adds soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil,
fermented black beans, sweet basil, green onions, coriander, and other spices
to produce its characteristic colors, aromas, and flavors. The surrounding seas
have made seafood another major feature of the islands food. The Hakka people
have developed their own flavors with a strong emphasis on saltiness, fatness,
and aroma. The indigenous peoples cook ingredients they find locally into dishes
outstanding in natural freshness that they accompany with a sweet wine made of
millet. With the infusion of the foods of new residents from Southeast Asia, plus
the establishment of foreign cuisines (including those of Japan, America, Italy,
France, Korea, and India, among others). Taiwan has foods that can satisfy any
taste.
Taiwan Tourism Information Website: http://taiwan.net.tw

Night-market Snacks
Inexpensive Native FlavorsNight-market Snacks
Taiwans night markets, which embody a very special kind of dining culture,
form near the busiest markets and temples in all towns. Enter a brightly lighted
night market and you will see closely packed vendors stalls and a bustle of
human activity, with all kinds of products vying for your attention and palate:
mouth-watering oyster omelet, milkfish
belly stew, fried rice vermicelli, little
cake wrapped in big cake, pork knuckles,
oyster noodles, and an endless variety of
other snacks. Dining at a night market
is convenient, fast, and cheap. The
experience at the night markets, that
become more colorful as the hours grow
late into night, will definitely enrich your
journey in Taiwan.
Raohe Street Night Market
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Authentic flavors of TaiwanGive them a try!

Fried rice vermicelli

Stinky bean curd

Mango ice

Oyster noodles

Oyster omelet

Meatballs

Zongzi dumplings

Steamed dumplings

Steamed sandwich

Photo by Tourism Bureau/Hsin Tung Yang

Seven Popular Night Markets in Northern Taiwan

Night Market
Miaokou
Night Market
()
Shilin
Night Market
()

Special Features

Location

The snacks available in the Miaokou Night Market are known far and
wide, among them pot-side noodle
soup, frothy ice, tempura, nutritious
sandwiches, and bean-sprout stew.

Near Dianji Temple, on Ren 3rd

Road and Ai 4th Road in Keelung.

This night market offers a wide

selection of snacks from all over
Taiwan, and is a favorite among
tourists.

Between Dadong Road and

Anping Road in the Shilin District
of Taipei.

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Night Market
Raohe Street
Night Market
()
Huaxi Street
Night Market
()
Jingmei
Night Market
()
Tonghua
Street
Night Market
()
Lioaning
Night Market
()

Special Features

Location

Taipeis first tourist night market,

this one stretches 600 meters and
has numerous vendors offering
medicinal stewed spareribs. A good
place for a healthy diet.

Intersection of Bade Road, Sec.

4 and Fuyuan Street to Ciyou
Temple on Bade Road in Taipei.

Taipeis most famous night market,

with popular snacks like seafood.

Huaxi Street in Taipei, between

Xiyuan Road and Huanhe South
Road.

This night market has over 30

years of history and hundreds of
stalls. It is the most popular street
market in southern Taipei.

Jingmei Street, Taipei.

This cross-shaped market is located

along two intersecting streets, with
dining on one side and general
goods on the other. A fine place for
shopping as well as snacking.

Tonghua Street, between Xinyi

Rd., Sec. 4 and Keelung Road,
Sec. 2 in Taipei.

Among the famous snacks

here are goose meat, seafood,
glutinous rice cake in bamboo
tubes, shwarma, oyster omelet,
and marinated stew.

Liaoning Street in Taipei, between

Chang-an East Road and Chung
Hsin High School.

Night Markets in Central, Southern, and Eastern Taiwan

Night Market

Special Features

Location

Fengjia
Night
Market

The streets around Feng Chia University form

a city that never sleeps, and the night market is
known for cheap prices and everything under
the sun. All kinds of snacks, clothing, and
accessories are on offer.

Fuxing Road, Feng

Chia Road, and
Wenhua Road,
between Xitun Road,
Sec. 2 and Xian St. in
Taichung.

The snacks here include all kinds of seafood

such as crabs, eel, oysters, shrimp, mudskipper
fish, and clams. Also on offer are tea snacks like
phoenix cake and ox tongue cakes, with the
products of the Yu Zhen Zhai Cake Shop being
famous throughout Taiwan.

Lugang,
Changhua County.

()

Lugang
Snacks
()

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Xiaobei
Night
Market
()
Liuhe
Night
Market
()
Luodong
Night
Market
()
Nanbin
Night
Market

()

Each vendor is numbered in this clean and neat

night market, which offers a huge variety of
snacks including seafood, coffin sandwiches,
pot-side noodle soup, and eel.

Intersection of Ximen
Road and Linan Road
in Tainan.

Food and Drinks produced in the mountain and

from the sea, including special products from
different localities, and snacks are available here
in endless variety. Specialties include papaya
milk and salt-steamed shrimp.

Liuhe Road in
Kaohsiung.

The authentic snacks sold here include salty rice

noodles, smoked duck, pork stew, shrimp and
chicken leg, bean curd rolls, rice vermicelli stew,
seafood, pork intestines, sausage wrapped in
oily bean curd and oyster omelet.

Around the town

center and Zhongshan
Park in Luodong,
Yilan County.

In this night market, Hualiens largest, you can

try stir-fried fresh seafood and special snacks
as you watch the sun sets slowly behind the
mountains to the west.

Nanbin Park in Hualien.

Taiwan Tourist Information website: http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/

Special Local Delicacies

Taiwan may be relatively small, but being surrounded by sea and having a
subtropical climate, it has an abundance of produce and, with the mixture of
Indigenous people, Hakka, and people from all the provinces of China, it presents
a rich tapestry of local cultures. As a result of unique folk customs and dining
habits, each town and village has developed its own local delicacies that have
become famous throughout Taiwan and overseas as well. All kinds of tea snacks,
cakes and cookies are still made by the traditional methods, or have been given
innovative and challenging flavors that are perfect for a taste on the spot and for
taking home as gifts to share with relatives and friends.

Taro pastries

Taiwan love cakes

Pineapple pastries

Pork jerky

Photo by Shan Mai Food/Hsin Tung Yang (both are the winner of 2009 English Services Emblem).

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Food Safety Certification and Labeling

To assure food safety, the Taiwanese government has followed international
standards in establishing the CAS (Certified Agricultural Standards) label
for outstanding agricultural products and the Taiwan Food GMP (Good
Manufacturing Practice) label. These two labels on agricultural products and
processed food products signify that the quality of the products has passed
government certification. The Department of Health has been helping the catering
industry to promote the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP)
system so that the control of food manufacturing processes can be strengthened,
thereby upgrading the sanitation and quality of food and beverage products.
Taiwans Commodity Labeling Act requires products to bear labels and stating
the product name, producer, name of manufacturer or importer, telephone number
and address, place of origin, main ingredients or materials, manufacturing date,
expiration date, and other essential information that consumers can use as a
reference when choosing their purchases; for rules on product labeling, please
refer to the chapter on Shopping.

Food Safety Information website: http://food.doh.gov.tw/english/english.asp

Taiwan Premium Agricultural Products Development Institute: http://www.cas.org.tw/en/
Taiwan Food Good Manufacturing Practice Development Association:
http://www.gmp.org.tw/

Protect the worldBring your own eating utensils

As Taiwan promotes waste reduction, energy conservation, and carbon
reduction, the government also encourages its people to take their own dining
utensils when eating out. In the swelling tide of environmental protection, we
show our love for the Earth by protecting the environment at all times!

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