Street food in Taipei

If you watch Taiwanese variety shows on Astro, you would know that Taiwan has an abundant street food culture. Most of their night markets are packed with street hawkers selling a variety of mouth watering gastronomic fares. So instead of babbling non-stop as I’m wont to do, I’ll let these photos do the talking instead.

Spring onion pancake – much like our roti canai

Pan-fried dumpling

Rice flour noodles soup – noodles with pig intestines in a delicately flavoured broth made from pork bones. One of the most famous is Ay Chung stall in Ximending. There’s a perpetual large crowd queueing for the noodles, and enjoying it al fresco standing by the stall, no seats provided.

Stinky tofu – marinated, deep-fried, drizzled with garlic sauce and served with pickled vegetables. The stinkier the tofu, the more delicious it is. It can be prepared in a variety of ways – fried, steamed, simmered in sugary soy sauce, cooked in spicy sauces, etc

An array of BBQ food items

Sausages - big and small, long and round, deep fried in batter: you name it, you've got it

Another Taiwanese favourite is fried chicken fillet, where the fillets are hammered until soft, coated in flour and fried. This golden, crisp treat is a popular snack among young people and is really yummy, cholesterol and fat notwithstanding. And of course, the quintessential Taiwanese drink is pearl milk tea. Originating from Spring Water Teahouse in Taichung, the famous tea drink is made from little tapioca balls that are boiled in black sugar and dropped into the milk tea.