My Time Capsule: Taiwan: Food Porn

11.9.14

Taiwan: Food Porn

Warning! Don't read this post on an empty stomach. The risk is all yours.


"Hey! How was your holiday? What have you eaten in Taiwan?" A friend asked me.

"Wrong question, girl!" My dad jumped into our conversation. "The correct one would be, what haven't you eaten in Taiwan?".


I thought I've only tasted some of Taiwanese delicacies. Until I was sorting the pictures and put them into one 'food' folder that I realised.....I have eaten sooooo much during my trip. I feel bad for blaming my jeans, I thought it has shrunk. Also I'm having a hard time to choose only some of the millions food photo for this blog post. So what have I eaten in Taiwan besides the bizarre food like giant crickets, maggots omelet and chicken testicles?


stinky tofu
Stinky tofu is really stinky (Doh!). This famous night market food is most commonly prepared by deep frying though it can be eaten cold, steamed or stewed. How to describe the smell? I'm sure everyone has their own opinion, to me it was like the smell of rotten garbage mixed with horse pee and troll's fart then is baked under the sun for days. But don't let the deadly odour put you off because once you brave enough to taste it, you might get addicted to it. The texture is crispy outside and soft inside, served with pickled cabbage, chili and sauce which the taste reminds me of Indonesian shrimp paste. Despite the smell I almost always buy and eat this food every time I go to Taiwan night market.

*Glad I was not sleeping beauty princess otherwise I would have slept forever because there's no prince who dared to kiss me :)) 


xiao long bao
Xiao long bao or steamed bun is often referred as 'soup-filled  dumplings' but I call it "bomb dumplings'. Why? Because when I tried it for the first time, my tongue got burned. My fault though, I pop the steaming hot dumpling in one go and the piping hot soup 'exploded' in my mouth. I thought I've lost my tongue! Traditionally filled with pork but the modern innovations include other meats, seafood and even vegetarian fillings.


dan zai noodle or tan tsu mien
Though its ingredient contains of noodle (carbs), this dish is actually regarded as a snack and always served in a small portion. I loooove yellow noodle for its smooth and chewy texture. The broth is clear and savoury, made from shrimp thus it has a slight hint of sweet taste. Served with braised minced pork, shrimps and marinated boiled egg. I always order another bowl of Taiwanese pork meatball to complement this delicious nibble.



oyster omelet or o-a-chian
It's been said that Oyster Omelet is originally a snack from Tainan but my favourite is in one of the food stalls in Kaohsiung night market. Made from fresh oyster, a batter of potato starch, eggs, topped with some vegetables and pan fried over high heat. A sweet and sour sauce is poured on top before serving. I also post a video about how to cook oyster omelet, just scroll down and you'll find it in the end of this post :)


pop corn chicken
OMG! Please excuse me for a moment *wiping the drool off my mouth*.

Okay, I'm back.

Taiwanese pop corn chicken is my all time favourite food since I was a kid. Even until now my super nose can recognise the smell from very far distance. Very fragrant and appetising aroma. To me it smells like 'Ngo Hiong' or 5 spice powder which is often used in Chinese food. Basically it's just some chicken chunks, dipped in flour based batter, deep fried and sprinkled with pepper salt. It's crispy with juicy meat, aromatic and savoury. Simply irresistible



braised pork belly with preserved vegetable

stir fried pork kidney with sesame oil and ginger

minced pork rice
There are so many delicious pork dishes that you should try while in Taiwan (unless you don't eat pork of course). I love the braised pork knuckles and the best one can be found in Taichung from Ah Shui Shi restaurant. My Dad's Taiwanese friend often bring a bucket or two of pork knuckle every time he visits us in Indonesia. Their pork knuckles is very well marinated and tender, simply the best in the world. Worth every single cholesterol level in my blood :p

One of Taiwan's signature dishes is Lurou Fan or minced pork rice. On my last trip, I was passing through Nantou county and tried the minced pork rice at one small eatery called Su Mama (found it from Tripadvisor). It's only a simple bowl of hot rice topped with braised mince pork. But the combination of sweet, salty, savoury and fragrant was so good, I was about to order another bowl.


you yu geng soup
Youyu means squid and geng is thick soup, another specialities of Taiwan which usually can be found in traditional market. When I was a kid, this soup was the reason I'd wake up very early and tagged along my grandmother to traditional markets. You yu geng is made from squid which is wrapped in fish paste then cooked in some fish broth then added slices bamboo shoot, mushroom, vegetables and also vermicelli. Seasoned with black vinegar before it's thickened with cornstarch. Best to eat in winter or rainy days.



deep fried fish

coffin bread
This famous snack from Tainan has a amusing appearance of a coffin hence its name Guancai Ban or Coffin Bread. The deep-fried thick slice of bread is cut to resemble a box and lid. Then it is filled with a thick chowder of chicken, shrimp, pork, potatoes and other ingredients. Despite very popular among locals and tourists, I don't really like it. I think the bread texture was too soggy.



steamed crab

grilled squid on a stick
Seafood is abundant in Taiwan. You can easily spot seafood dishes in night market or restaurant. My favourite is definitely grilled squids. The fresh squid is marinated in some mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, pepper and garlic. Pearce squid with bamboo stick then frequently turning and basking while grilling. The tasty aroma making me not patient enough to wait until it's done. Gaah! I can't believe I'm torturing myself by writing this food post *crying a river*



hujiao bing aka black pepper bun
Finally I got to taste the famous Hujiao Bing in Raohe night market. The queue is expectedly very long and that's the sign that I have found the right stall. The bun has a crispy and flaky crust which emit the aroma of sesame seeds while the fillings explodes with juicy flavours of scallions, pork and black pepper. It's deliciously aromatic and distinctively smokey being charcoal baked.


grilled sausage on a stick
The appetising aroma of this plump and glistening grilled pork sausage floating in the air will certainly teases your sense. Like being hypnotised, you're walking closer and grab it..... then sink your teeth into the crunchy meat texture while the sweet juice dripping and explodes throughout your entire mouth. Tonguegasm guaranteed.



oyster mee sua

persimmon

giant sugar-apple fruits
Taiwan also has some delicious fruits, sweet treats and desserts which are too good to be missed. I was quite sad that I couldn't find taro ice cream though. The store which I used to get from is closed down already. Anyone in Taiwan knows where to get the best taro ice cream? I will surely check it on my next visit to Taiwan.


tangyuan

hot chocolate at Republic of Chocolate

ice shaved dessert

mochi

candied fruits





Basically those are only about 25% of food that I've eaten on my last trip to Taiwan. So probably I'll need to write another blog post about Taiwan food porn, lol. Taiwan is indeed a home to ethic and cultural diversity thus it reflects on their rich cuisine. Even for a frequent visitor like me, there's always something new to try. I surely can't wait to my next visit to Taiwan! :D

33 comments:

  1. naksir cumi2 bakarnya kak... malem2 gini enak tuh dimakan dengan saos asam pedas

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. gara2 nulis ini aku juga jadi ngidam cumi2 bakar, kak :'(

      Delete
  2. I was accidentally introduced to stinky tofu when I was in Guangzhou. One afternoon my friend and I were walking near our hotel and at one point we crossed a bridge. Then suddenly I smelled this putrid stench filling the air, and I thought it came from the gutter of the river. But then my friend said it was the smell of stinky tofu. I didn't have it though, and I don't remember smelling the same odor in Taiwan. :)

    Did you try gua bao? It melted in my mouth and the soft bun was sooo good, and the treasures inside. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. stinky tofu in China smells worse, I didn't even want to eat it, lol. The one in Taiwan is so delicious. It reminds me of Indonesian tahu petis. My Mom often cooks gua bao at home, lho! :D

      Delete
  3. grilled squids and sambal matah, i want it NOW !!! :p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. aku juga mauuuuu kalo pake sambal Bali *drool*

      Delete
  4. Oh my god! All of this looks INCREDIBLE! I especially want to try xiao long bao. Thanks for sharing!! Food posts are my favorite.

    Happy travels :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. glad you're enjoying this food post, Lauren. Thanks for stopping by :)

      Delete
  5. Anonymous12/9/14 09:10

    Oh my.... salah nih mampir di mari pagi-pagi begini *remes perut*
    Deb, aku naksir.... naksir Xiao Long Bao yang menggoda iman ituhhh.... Eh baru tahu loh kalo "stir fried pork kidney" juga jadi salah satu makanan di sana, kupikir cuma nyokap aja yang demen masak ini dicampur soon di rumah hehehe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. masakan pork kidney buayak di Taiwan ama Singapore. Aku suka bangettttt. Ntar mau mampir rumahmu di Solo ya, Lim. Hihihihi

      Delete
  6. Please give me the mochi!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. aku juga penggemar mochi, Kak Tes! *toss* :D

      Delete
  7. waduh kok jadi laper gini sayaa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. me too! laper juga kalo liat foto makanan, hihihi :p

      Delete
  8. mbaaa deb, dr semua yg kamu tulis, sumpah aku tuh dr dulu penasaran ama stinky tofu... Semua tulisan yg describe baunya, pd heboh de... bnr2 pgn tau separah apa bau dan rasanya :D

    kyknya aku hrs msukin Taiwan k bucketlist thn dpn nih

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. banyak yang takut mencicipi stinky tofu gara2 baunya yang susah dijelaskan, hahaha. Dulu pas kecil aku juga ga mau deket2 kalo ada stinky tofu. Tapi setelah nyobain ternyata enak bangettttt, serasa makan tahu goreng petis ala Indonesia. Dan herannya jadi ga berasa bau lagi setelah makan :D

      Delete
  9. Duh salah masuk nih.... *elus perut*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Salah masuk gimana, Wir? *ikut elus perut* #ehhh

      Delete
  10. Anonymous19/9/14 08:48

    Duh, gue baca ini pagi-pagi di kantor. Belum sarapan -_____-
    Anyway, kakak sempet tinggal di Taiwan dulu?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. nah, pasti ga baca peringatan di awal post :p
      masa kecil aku sebagian besar di Taiwan n Hong Kong karena selalu dibawa ortu pas perjalanan bisnis :)

      Delete
    2. Anonymous20/9/14 09:52

      Baca sih baca, kak. Tapi tapi... aku tak menyangka cobaannya seberat ini :(
      Hoaaaa asyik tuh! Dari dulu udah pengen ke Taiwan. Bukan karena nonton Meteor Garden, tapi gara2 lihat acara traveling di stasiun tv swasta yg lagi ngebahas Love River-nya Kaohsiung :))

      Delete
  11. Anonymous19/9/14 17:14

    giant sugar-apple nya makan satu kayaknya kenyang nih:))) bandingin di Indonesia yang kecil-kecil:))) manis ga kakak? pernah nyobain? thank's for sharing:))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. gede bangettttt n lebih manis dari yg di Indo ituh :)

      Delete
  12. I ignored the warning in the beginning of this post, and now I'm eating bread [only thing that I could find] in the middle of the night!!!!

    If I'm not mistaken, there's something similar to 'pop corn chicken' here in Indonesia, and I believe it's a franchise from Taiwan!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yup, there are some brands of Taiwan street food here. But it doesn't taste as good as the one in Taiwan :p

      Delete
  13. Liat makanannya...Glek...!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous23/9/14 23:16

    Damn delicious,
    indeeed this kind of pork is definitely seducing my taste buds....
    jadi ngebayangin brp lama ya di treadmill buat ngebakar semua kalorinya, huahahahaha...
    i guess eat now, diet tomorrow......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. diet always starts tomorrow ya, hahahaha *menatap nanar lemak di perut*

      Delete
  15. DebbZie Leksono! Really you have eaten so much. You have posted mouth watering pictures. They are reminding me about my tour to Taiwan. Last year after coming from bus tours from boston to washington dc. I have made a plan to visit this region with my friends. Then we got a plane and land in this place. No doubt it is a very beautiful place. Its people are very polite and nice. I also had eaten there too much. After reading your blog I gathered my pictures and made a list of food that I have eaten during my tour. This list was consist on many dishes such as xiao long bao, dan zai noodle or tan tsu mien, pop corn chicken, minced pork rice, deep fried fish, you yu geng soup, oyster mee sua and ice shave desert. I don’t have a chance to eat steamed crab and I don’t like to eat it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alliha! Then you have eaten as much as I have, right. lol. I simply can't resist the delicious food in Taiwan :)

      Delete
  16. Aduh..aduh.. Jadi laper malem2 liat beginian. Taiwanese street food memang top. Kangen luroufannya Formosa Zhang :))

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for stopping by. Please do leave a little message, it means the world to me. Cheers! :)

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...