An Intro to Taiwanese Food

A Guide to Taiwanese Cuisine for Expats and Foreigners

I half-jokingly tell Foreigners that the national sport in Taiwan is “Eating”.  It is not a coincidence that locals usually greet each other with the phrase “Have you Eaten Yet”, so they take their foods very seriously.

With that being said, the meals here can range from “That Tastes Familiar” to “Oh God Have Mercy!”, so I recommend a 3-Levels, Gradual approach to the extensive and wonderful cuisine of Taiwan.  Here is a breakdown of the most common local dishes, plus a couple perfected by the locals:

Please be Gentle
–  Taiwanese Beef Noodles
–  Taiwanese Sausages (photo)
–  Dan-Dan / Danzai Rice Noodles
–  Deep Fried Chicken Cutlets
–  Roasted Cherry Duck
–  Taiwanese Tian-Bu-La / Oden
–  Shaved Ice Desserts
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I Got This 
–  Braised Pork Rice (滷肉飯) (photo)
–  Oysters Omelet (蚵仔煎)
–  Meat Chowders (Duck, Pork, Fish) (肉羹)
–  Iron / Tea Leaf Eggs
–  Pearl / Bubble Milk Tea
–  Taiwanese Pork Sandwich (Gua Bao – 刈包)
–  Taiwanese Meatballs
–  Anything seasoned / stewed with 5 Spices (Lu Wei) Soy Sauce
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I Fear Nothing!
–  Stinky Tofu
–  Duck / Pig Blood Puddings
–  Vermicelli with Oysters or Intestines (蚵仔麵線, 大腸麵線)
–  Thousand Years (Preserved) Egg (皮蛋) with Tofu (photo)
–  Bitter Melon Soup
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And at Last …. It’s Better in Taiwan!
(Dishes that were not originally from Taiwan, but modified and perfected)

–  Roasted Goose
–  Soup Dumplings (photo)

Last Update:  October 2017