Taiwanese Food 101

People often ask me "What's Taiwanese food like?" Despite having grown up on and loving Taiwanese food, I find myself hard pressed to give a clear, concise answer. Today, someone on Chowhound posted a site that has an answer so beautiful it makes me want to cry. It's by no means an exhaustive study on Taiwanese food, and not all the descriptions will make full sense to someone who's not familiar with Taiwanese food. There could definitely be more photos, though the ones they do have are beautiful. Still, if you're wondering what Taiwanese food is or don't know how to explain it to someone else, this page is a great starting point.

Taiwanese home cooked meals almost always include the following, though of course not in the same bowl: hot brothy soup, garlic, seafood, pork, a stunning array of leafy greens, and some of the best fruit on the planet. Strange animal parts like blood, intestine, and offal also often play a role.

Night market food, which is the reason most people leave their homes at night, tends to be unhealthy: deep fried everything, starchy soups, sugary desserts. Food on a stick gets bonus points and includes: deep fried fish balls, steamed pork's blood rice cake, candied cherry tomatoes, ducks' tongues, chickens' butts, and fresh fruit are just some of the things you can find on a stick. The things you can get in a bowl, wrapped in paper, in a bag, or in a napkin are countless. It's "walk while you eat" heaven.

Dessert is usually fresh fruit pieces if you're at home, but if you're eating out it might be something like a sweet bean soup or grass jelly. In the summer, dessert almost always includes shaved ice and fruit in some combination.

Taiwanese breakfast is one of the most delicious yet hardest to describe parts of the cuisine. I'll have to remember to take copious photos next time I encounter it.

Anyway, I now present this site in all its glory. Read it and weep: Eating China (you can surf around for information about other regional food, naturally).

PS. Blogger's not cooperating with me. I have a few posts backlogged because the site won't let me load photos. This happens from time to time. It's my punishment for shortcutting by using Blogger instead of a real web design program. Bad Pei!