What to eat and drink in Taiwan

16.11.2024 - 14:23 / lonelyplanet.com

Nov 15, 2024 • 9 min read

Taiwan is an island of food lovers where snacking is the national pastime, no matter the time of day (or night). Though it draws from Chinese Fujian, Cantonese, and Hakka flavors, Taiwan’s cuisine has evolved into something distinct, blending indigenous ingredients, Japanese influences and even some American elements to create a truly distinctive food culture.

You don’t need to go upmarket in Taiwan to eat the best food either – you’ll have some of the most profound dining experiences on the street, grazing past rows of mom ‘n’ pop stalls that fry, grill, or steam just one or two xiao chi (small eats) to perfection. Here’s our guide to the best dishes in Taiwan.

Taiwanese beef noodle soup (台湾牛肉面) is the country’s national dish. It unites braised beef and chewy wheat noodles in a slow-simmered broth with a tickle of Sichuan spice and a tang of pickled mustard greens. It’s not surprising to learn that this cuddle in a bowl was created by folks pining for a taste of home – veterans of China’s civil war who had crossed the sea to Taiwan, bringing their regional recipes with them. Today, niurou mian is Taiwan’s de facto national dish (it has its own festival) and has even been credited with reversing the island’s long-held taboo on eating beef.

Where to try it: Yongkang Beef Noodles, Taipei.

Boba cha, also known as bubble tea, pearl milk tea, or zhenzhu naicha (珍珠奶茶), is the drinks craze Taiwan gifted to the world. Served at roadside stands and in chain outlets, the classic edition shakes up tea, milk, ice, sugar, and chewy pearls of tapioca. But these days, it can be made with blended fruits, pureed taro, sweet potato balls, and even cheese – the more over-the-top, the better. But what almost all the boba variants have in common is a cocktail-style shake over ice before serving and an extra-wide straw to hoover up all those springy, syrupy ‘bubbles’ of tapioca along with the tea.

Where to try it: Chun Shui Tang, Taipei.

Taiwanese have got it right – snacking just feels way more fun at night. At night markets all over the island, dozens of vendors – each typically family-run – dish up cheap, moreish mouthfuls under the glow of bare bulbs: think soups, sausages, squid skewers, sweet treats, stinky tofu, and stuff stuffed inside other stuff. Among Taiwan's most popular street foods is stinky tofu (臭豆腐), a pungent yet delicious dish that locals and adventurous visitors seek out at night markets. Be sure to try iconic street food dishes, like gooey oyster omelets (蚵仔煎), ‘salt-crisp’ fried chicken tossed with basil leaves and five-spice, and shaved ice desserts (剉冰) topped with red beans, mango, taro balls, and bathed in sweet condensed milk.

Where to try it: Miaokou Night Market, Keelung.

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