What To Eat In Taipei, Taiwan? 來台北吃什麼？台北小吃名產必吃清單

 

What To Eat In Taipei, Taiwan? 來台北吃什麼？台北小吃名產必吃清單

What to eat in Taipei (台北)? Taiwan (台灣) has so many traditional cuisines you must try and Taipei is the city that every traveler will never miss. There are some classic and local dishes exclusively located in Taipei. Here below is the list of must eat foods in Taipei City (台北市) and New Taipei City (新北市).

 

Taipei 台北

1. Niu Rou Mian (Niú Ròu Miàn) 牛肉麵 New Row Mian / Beef Noodle Soup

Niu rou mian (牛肉麵/牛肉面) is one of the must-try cuisines in Taiwan. There are three main types of niu rou mian: soy-braised (hong shao, 紅燒/红烧), clear-stewed (qing dun, 清燉/清炖), and tomato-flavored (fan qie, 番茄). If it is not mentioned specifically on the menu, usually it means soy-braised beef noodle soup.

(Learn More: History of Niu Rou Mian in Taiwan)

2. Dou Jiang Dian (Dòu Jiāng Diàn) 豆漿店 Traditional Breakfast Shop

Dou jiang dian (豆漿店/豆浆店) is traditional breakfast shops, which will definitely sell dou jiang (豆漿/豆浆, soymilk), so it is how it is named. There are other classic foods that you must try in dou jiang dian: shao bing (燒餅/烧饼, sesame flat bread), you tiao (油條/油条, deep-fried bread stick), bao zi (包子, steamed stuffed bun), man tou (饅頭/馒头, steamed bun), cong zhua bing (蔥抓餅/葱抓饼, scallion pancake), jiu cai he (韭菜盒, pan-fried leek pie/pocket), fan tuan (飯糰/饭团, sticky rice roll), xiao long tang bao (小籠湯包/小笼汤包, soup dumpling), and xian bing (馅饼, pan-fried pie), just to name a few.

3. Mang Guo Bing (Máng Guǒ Bīng) 芒果冰 Mango Ice

Mang guo bing (芒果冰) is a beloved dessert that everyone will have when visiting Taiwan. Mang guo bing uses shaved ice or snow ice (finely shaved ice with whipped cream, condensed milk, and sugar) as the base and is topped with fresh chopped mangos, sometimes even with a scoop of mango ice cream. Mang guo bing, the dessert invented in Yongkang Street (永康街) in Taipei, has become the well-liked Taiwanese sweet treat of visitors, so never miss it when you travel in Taipei!

Tamsui 淡水│ A Gei (Ā gěi) 阿給 Agei

4. Tamsui 淡水│ A Gei (Ā gěi) 阿給 Agei

A gei (阿給) is a classic snack that originates in Tamsui (淡水), New Taipei City (新北市), which now has become a must-eat cuisine in Tamsui. A gei is made of a large piece of fried tofu, stuffed with cellophane noodles, sealed with fish paste, and basted with a special sauce The name “a gei,” named by the creator Yang-Zheng Jinwen (楊鄭錦文) in 1965, comes from fried tofu in Japanese “あぶらあげ (aburaage).”

(Learn More : How A Gei Is Created)

Tamsui 淡水│ Yu Su (Yú Sū) 魚酥 Fish Crisps

5. Tamsui 淡水│ Yu Su (Yú Sū) 魚酥 Fish Crisps

Yu su (魚酥/鱼酥), deep-fried fish crisps, is a popular snack and a local specialty in Tamsui. Yu su is made of fish with bones, which is then ground into fish paste and coated with sweet potato flour before being deep fried. It was invented to solve the excess of fish catch because after processing, the product can be stored longer. Now yu su turns out to be a favorite souvenir in Tamsui.

Tamsui 淡水│ Yu Wan (Yú Wán) 魚丸 Fish Ball

6. Tamsui 淡水│ Yu Wan (Yú Wán) 魚丸 Fish Ball

Yu wan (魚丸/鱼丸), fish ball, is just like gong wan (貢丸, pork ball) but is made of fish. Here, however, we are discussing specifically Tamsui yu wan, which is slightly different from other yu wan. Tamsui yu wan looks more like an ellipsoid rather than a sphere; besides, it contains minced pork inside, so it has more layers of flavor. Tamsui yu wan is also created due to abundant fish harvest as yu su (魚酥, fish crisp) does. Now yu wan tang (魚丸湯, fish ball soup) becomes a must-eat dish in Tamsui.

Tamsui 淡水│ Yu Wan (Yú Wán) 魚丸 Fish Ball

7. Tamsui 淡水│ Tie Dan (Tiě Dàn) 鐵蛋 Iron Egg

Tie dan (鐵蛋/铁蛋), iron egg, is Tamsui’s classic local specialty. The predecessor of tie dan is lu dan (滷蛋/卤蛋, spiced corned egg), boiled egg braised with soy sauce. After being repeatedly braised and exposed to the air, lu dan becomes smaller, dark brown, and hard like iron does, and has a chewy texture, which is then named as tie dan (iron egg). Tie dan is one-third smaller than a normal lu dan; you can find tie dan in large size, which is made of chicken egg, and small size, which is made of quail egg.

8. Tamsui 淡水│ Suan Mei Tang (Suān Méi Tāng) 酸梅湯 Plum Juice

Suan mei tang (酸梅湯/酸梅汤), plum juice, in Tamsui is quite famous because it follows the ancient method to make, which contains somked plums, roselle, and other traditional Chinese herbs. Suan mei tang tastes sweet and a little bit sour. It is the best choice a scorching summer day.

9. Tamsui 淡水│ Ju Wu Ba Shuang Qi Lin (Jù Wú Bà Shuāng Qí Lín) 巨無霸霜淇淋 Jumbo Ice Cream

Ju wu ba shuang qi lin (巨無霸霜淇淋/巨无霸霜淇淋), jumbo ice cream or called giant ice cream, is another feature that people think of when talking of Tamsui. Comparing with other ice cream, jumbo ice cream is like a tower because it is about 55 cm tall! You can find this kind of ice cream stand along Tamsui River banks.

10. Shilin 士林│ Ji Pai (Jī Pái) 雞排 Fried Chicken Fillet

Ji pai (雞排/鸡排), fried chicken fillet or fried chicken cutlet, is a popular street snack that you can not only find in night markets but also find on every street in Taiwan. Ji pai is a slice of chicken fillet marinated with spices and Chinese herbs, breaded, and then deep fried. It is the top choice of afternoon snack and late night supper. Ji pai in Shilin is famous for its size because it is super large as big as a face! If you are visiting Shilin Night Market, make sure your stomach have the room for ji pai!

(Learn More: The Invention Of Ji Pai)

11. Shilin 士林│ Da Bing Bao Xiao Bing (Dà Bǐng Bāo Xiǎo Bǐng) 大餅包小餅 Biscuit Crepe Wrap

Da bing bao xiao bing (大餅包小餅/大饼包小饼) is a smashed biscuit wrapped into a crepe wrap, similar to the one used in run bing juan (潤餅卷, steamed spring roll). It is the creation of two adjacent vendors one of whom is selling da bing (大餅, crepe wrap) while the other is selling xiao bing (小餅, biscuit). At first, the business was slow, so these two vendors came up with an idea that smashing the biscuit and wrapping it in the crepe. To their surprise, da bing bao xiao bing is highly acclaimed. Now it becomes one of the classic snacks in Shilin (士林) and has several sweet and savory flavors.

What is your favorite food in Taipei?