A Taste of Taiwan

A TASTE OF TAIWAN

A few years ago I was invited to speak to the Taiwan Tourism Board and I jumped at the opportunity since I had never been there. I had been to Hong Kong, and China, many times, but not to Taipei. I spent a week being given a very in depth tour, and I will share my report with you.

Taiwan offers an extravagance of flavors and a fascinating panorama of dining options, from street stalls to teahouses, five star restaurants to bustling night markets. That diversity is demonstrated in every aspect of the island’s geography and culture, from intensely urban Taipei to aboriginal townships, from mountainous national parks to rustic seaside hamlets. Portuguese sailors named it Ilha Formosa, beautiful island, a description that is still apt.

From all over China, and in fact all over Asia, settlers brought their spices and styles of cooking. Here you will find all of China’s flavors, including Szechuan (smoky, spicy, hot), Cantonese (specialties, squid, abalone, and dim sum) Fujianese (spectacular sea foods, such as Buddha Jumping Over the Wall) and indigenous Hakka (with pickled or dried ingredients, such as dried persimmon and shigan), as well as the influences and dishes of Mongolia, Japan and other nations.

The emphasis is on fresh, local ingredients, fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, noodles and rice, continually improvised into new dishes. The Taiwanese favor siao chili – small eats, or snack foods prepared hot and fresh. Such food invites sampling which is ideal for visitors to the island’s night markets where vendors sell freshly prepared foods and just about everything else from cosmetics and electronics to live animals. A night market specialty is boba, or pearl milk tea known as bubble tea in the U.S. Served cold or hot, its made with small balls of tapioca boiled in black sugar and dropped in milky tea giving it a sweet taste and distinctive texture. Try “Bun in a bun” a dessert or snack which is a crispy cake with sweet or savory filling and is cooked inside a handmade flour crust. Taiwanese shaved ice made with delicious fresh fruit and mochi, sweet rice cakes served warm in a variety of signature styles.

There are night markets everywhere in Taiwan. Some of the most popular are the Shilin Tourist Night Market, Taipei, Huashi (Huaxi) Street Night Market, Taipei, Liuhe Night Market in Laohsiung (seafood a specialty) just point at what you want to try.

Taipei is a bustling international metropolis complete with skyscapers, department stores and thousands of restaurants, it is food lovers paradise. I was very surprised, I found it was more crowded with people than I experienced in Hong Kong which I have always considered a mob scene. The Taiwan Food Festival and Culinary Exhibition each August offers both traditional and innovative dishes, exhibits and restaurant specials.

Din Tai Fund (Xin Yi Road 914 Taipei) rated one of the 10 best gourmet restaurants in the world by the New York times is known for its dim sum. For unsurpassed elegance, visit the National Palace Museum and the adjacent Silks Palace restaurant. Here, exquisite design extends beyond the space itself to the plate where treasures of the Museum’s collection are replicated in perfect form and divine flavor.

In the mountains about an hour from Taipei, Jioufen is a gold rush town with narrow cobblestone alleys, winding stairways and superb street food, including Yuyuan, a sweet bean soup with chewy balls of taro. Eat a bowl on the street as you admire the view, or step off the busy street into a peaceful teahouse to sample fragrant Chinese tea accompanied by tea cakes made of taro, yam, or sticky rice.

An hour south of Tapai is Wulai, an aboriginal township known for its spectacular waterfall and one of a kind local market. I bought an absolutely gorgeous fabric handbag here, made by the aboriginal people. Enjoy stir fried wild boar, deep friend creek shrimp, bamboo rice and millet wine.

Taiwan’s traditional fare is light and simple and a claim of health benefits is not unusual. One example of such “tonic” food is Yao Dun Pai Fu, an aromatic soup of port ribs cooked in a stock made from ten Chinese medicinal herbs. Healthful is also tasty, as is amply demonstrated at the brand new Shi Yang Culture Restaurant in the mountains of XiZhi City. The prix fixe menu included multiple courses of delicate morsels and fantastic flavors, smoked salmon, fragment soup, vegetables, fruit, enjoyed slowly in the peaceful atmosphere of a Zen like retreat. Complete this healthful experience with a visit to the hot springs in nearly Beitou.

Taiwan is also internationally known for its tea (particularly oolong) and tea houses. Tea is also used in cooking many dishes. In Maokong, a tea district outside Taipai, teahouses and tea plantations are open to visitors night and day. Stately tea ceremonies dating to the Ming dynasty combine traditions of Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. The Pinglin Tea Museum in Pinglin township in Taipai County offers a detailed look into the culture and agriculture of tea.

I would recommend you going just to look at the National Museum. I could have spent days there. In l931 General Chiang Kai-Shek ordered treasures to be packed in 80,000 crates and moved them to safety from the advancing Japanese army. Only 1% of the treasures are on display. They do change the exhibits on a regular basis. The jade, bronze, and ceramic items are breathtaking. 8000 years of Chinese history and culture are on exhibit. This is the most awesome museum and gallery I have been in.

Taiwan is a stop on several cruise lines, and it is an easy add on to an Asian itinerary.

Maureen Jones

All Horizons Travel/Frosch

825 Santa Cruz Avenue

Menlo Park

650-961-2340 direct

www.Froschvacations.com

Maureen.Jones@Frosch.com