1. Braised pork rice
“Where there’s a wisp of smoke from the kitchen chimney, there will be lurou fan [braised pork with rice],” goes the Taiwanese saying. The popularity of this humble dish cannot be overstated.
2. Beef noodles
You know a dish is an obsession when it gets its own festival. Beef noodle soup inspires competitiveness and innovation in Taiwanese chefs. Everyone wants to claim the “beef noodle king” title.
3. Oyster omelet
Here’s a snack that really showcases the fat of the land in Taiwan. You’ve got something from the sea and something from the soil. The eggs are the perfect foil for the little oysters, which are easily found around the island, while sweet potato starch is added to give the whole thing a gooey chewiness — a signature Taiwan food texture.
4. Slack Season danzai noodles
You’ve gotta love a place called Slack Season, and it should be one of the first stops on any culinary trip to Taiwan. The iconic eatery originated in Tainan about a century ago.
A fisherman sold noodles during the slack fishing season and the place became so successful he quit his original trade altogether. The signature bowl of Slack Season noodles is served in shrimp soup with bean sprouts, coriander, minced pork and fresh shrimp. The bowl of comforting flavors is so addictive that a man from Tainan supposedly ate 18 bowls in a row at the restaurant.
5. Ba wan (Giant meat dumplings)
Ba wan is a Taiwanese mega-dumpling. Made with a dough of rice flour, corn starch and sweet potato starch, it looks almost translucent after cooking. Pork, veggies and sometimes eggs are stuffed inside and gravy poured on top.
A small staff inside the wet market in Kaoshiung’s Hunei District offers freshly handmade ba wan. Bear in mind they usually sell out before noon
Food Trips 