The method of making stone hot pot is simple and primitive — all ingredients, containers, utensils, and spoons are sourced on-site. In the past, when members of the community went hunting or working outdoors, they only needed to bring a pack of salt. Using basic materials, they could cook up a delicious meal, fully showcasing their life wisdom. First, the leaf sheath of the betel nut palm is folded into a makeshift “pot” and filled with water…
Cherries belong to the Rosaceae family and are deciduous fruit trees. When ripe, cherries are bright red, delicate, translucent, delicious, and visually appealing, rich in nutrients and of high medicinal and health value, also known as "han tao." The types of cherries cultivated as fruit trees in China include Chinese cherry, sweet cherry, sour cherry, and downy cherry. Cherries ripen early, earning them the reputation of being the first fruit of early spring...
Fenglin is the area in Hualien with the highest concentration of Hakka people. This small eatery next to the Farmers' Association on Zhongzheng Road is famous for its fresh, handmade, 100% rice-based Hakka rice cakes that contain no other plant flours. With skilled steaming techniques, the rice cakes achieve the perfect chewy texture, paired with fragrant and hearty fillings that leave diners completely satisfied—these are the three best-selling items here, though all are only available in the morning. Additionally, bowl rice cakes made purely from glutinous rice come in both sweet and savory flavors and are equally renowned. (Hualien County)
The carp, silver carp, tilapia, and small shrimp abundant in Liyu Lake are all popular dishes at over 10 lakeside restaurants, but the live shrimp is especially renowned. The tiny shrimp are soaked in a marinade of wine, vinegar, ginger, and garlic, then served after being simmered for 3–5 minutes once the shrimp are stunned, resulting in a dish full of authentic flavor. In addition, the lake...
The small shop by the level crossing looks like a family canteen. As a Hakka, Grandma Man’s braised dishes carry the hallmark salty, aromatic, and oily flavors of Hakka cuisine. The signature braised pig’s trotters are first deep-fried then braised, resulting in tender skin and melt-in-your-mouth meat. The braised pork intestines come in a string of knots, designed to retain juices during the slow-braising process. These delicious braised dishes, served with plain rice, can easily have you going back for bowl after bowl…
The fluffy rice grains and aromatic minced pork make Zhouji Tube Glutinous Rice Cake irresistibly fragrant, all thanks to its meticulous preparation process. High-quality glutinous rice is first stir-fried, while the minced pork is made from lean meat that’s sautéed to bring out the flavor. It’s then steamed to perfection in a steamer. Before serving, it’s sprinkled with peanut powder and sweet chili sauce, turning this everyday snack into a burst of delightful flavors in every bite. In addition, the shop also offers Four-God Soup and Spare Ribs Soup— the latter is seasoned with no spices at all, letting the natural flavors shine through, making it refreshingly delicious. (Hualien County)
The Amis people call cured meat “Xilao.” Any leftover fish, fish roe, game meat, or animal offal is preserved through curing. The preparation process involves rubbing salt on the meat and kneading it in. After a few days, it is placed in a clay jar, some millet wine is poured in, and it is sealed for a month before being taken out to eat. It is said that those pieces that have decayed and bred maggots are considered the…
A-Li Peng Peng is a unique food of the "Nanshi Amis" people, somewhat similar to zongzi and can also be called an Amis rice wrap. The Amis people use the commonly found pandanus along the coast—first picking its leaves, trimming off the thorny edges, then weaving four leaves into a bag-like shape, filling it with raw glutinous rice, and either boiling it in water or steaming it dry. Thanks to the influence of the pandanus leaves, it has a distinctive...
Duron, also known as Amis mochi, differs significantly in both preparation method and ingredients from traditional mochi. First, millet is cooked into millet rice, which is then pounded continuously in a mortar. Due to its high stickiness, the millet rice quickly coagulates into solid chunks, forming a chewy and sticky Duron. In addition to millet, Duron is now also made using red glutinous rice and white glutinous rice...
The sweet rice wine glutinous rice balls at Quanjiafu are entirely handmade and very well-known in Keelung. The so-called "sweet wine" is made by fermenting small white glutinous rice grains. At Quanjiafu, the sweet wine has a mellow alcoholic aroma mixed with a subtle osmanthus fragrance, giving it a sweet and tangy taste. Paired with various types of handmade filled glutinous rice balls, it makes for a warm…
Braised eel is one of the most famous street foods at Miaokou. It is made by deboning and cutting fresh eel into chunks, marinating them in seasonings to remove the fishy taste, then coating them in flour, deep-frying, and braising. The eel pieces are then simmered in a rich sauce along with Chinese cabbage and mushrooms in a large pot. The eel head is cooked separately into a herbal-infused braised eel head dish. The flavors are deliciously savory and smooth, making it an unmissable dish for lovers of hearty soups. (Keelung)
Bean starch noodles are a specialty snack of Keelung. The main ingredient, "bean starch," is made from a type of millet bean that resembles soybeans with black specks. The beans are ground into powder and processed into noodle-like strands, though they are shorter and thinner than regular noodles—these are what we call bean starch noodles. They are then cooked in a broth along with squid thick soup and shrimp thick soup. The soup base is thickened with ingredients such as shrimp and oysters...
Tempura is a Japanese dish, meaning "fried things." It's essentially what's known as "tianbula" in Taiwan and is one of the most famous street foods at Keelung Miaokou. There are several vendors selling tempura at Miaokou, but stall No. 16 is the most well-established, renowned for both its delicious taste and quality ingredients. Each vendor makes the tempura fresh on the spot by deep-frying it. The batter is made from fish paste mixed with flour and cornstarch…
Keelung Miaokou Night Market Snacks refer to the street food stalls located near Dianji Temple on Ren San Road and Ai Si Road, forming an approximate “L” shape across an area about 400–500 meters in total length. The area hosts over 300 stalls. After decades of evolution, not only have the stalls been assigned sequential numbers, but their signs are also uniformly designed. A wide variety of snacks are available,...
Pufferfish often inhabit reef and rocky areas, and their intestines can sometimes accumulate toxic substances, which is why people in Taiwan rarely try them. However, the Amis people living along the east coast have a tradition of eating pufferfish. They skillfully catch non-toxic varieties with short spines, first roasting them over fire, then shelling and gutting them before cooking the meat into a soup. Due to its tender texture, it has long been...
Jianbao Food is well-known for producing dried shrimp. Most dried shrimp on the market come from coastal spiny shrimp, but Jianbao’s dried shrimp are sourced from spiny shrimp and sword shrimp in the waters of the Zhoushan Archipelago—considered top-quality dried shrimp. Whether spiny or sword shrimp, they all undergo a process of thawing, cleaning, sterilizing, and drying. Impurities are removed, and the shrimp are graded into large, medium, and small sizes…
Sun Valley Leisure Farm is a natural wild bee farm that utilizes the resources of the mountain forest to allow wild bees to pollinate, resulting in honey that is rich in flavor, aromatic, and sweet—truly top-quality honey. Spring honey is available year-round, while winter honey can only be purchased from November to January due to climatic conditions. The agricultural staff also use wild bees to trap tiger head wasps, which are then soaked alive in rice wine. Once the wasp venom is released and mixed, it becomes tiger head wasp wine, which has some therapeutic effects on arthritis and rheumatism. The farm also regularly hosts bee tours to introduce the ecology of wild bees.
Lian Zhen Pastries is a long-established Taiwanese shop. Its first-generation founder, Mr. Zheng Yuandao, was born into a family of confectioners during the Japanese colonial period. Having inherited exceptional craftsmanship from a young age, he traveled extensively overseas in his youth and also engaged in the food trade business. With a unique vision for food operations, he founded Lian Zhen Pastry Shop. Since its establishment, the shop has…
Stuffed Sausage in Intestine Stuffed Sausage in Intestine is a very common Taiwanese street food. The charcoal-grilled outer layer of the sausage casing is slightly crispy, while the filling inside is made of plump rice grains. It's paired with a delicious sausage and topped with side dishes such as pickled mustard greens, cucumber slices, ginger, and preserved radish omelet. One bite releases juicy flavors that burst with deliciousness. Located at the Seimoncho area near Tunghai University’s West Gate, Guan Zhi Lin's Stuffed Sausage in Intestine...
The origin of this dish traces back to Shanghai’s soup dumplings, evolving from street stalls and night markets into a snack with a distinct Taiwanese flavor. There are generally two common flavors. The pork version usually features a filling made with pork hind leg meat mixed with cabbage, while the other is a purely vegetarian option made with cabbage and chives, supplemented with cellophane noodles. The buns are soft and yield a burst of savory juice when bitten into…