Appreciating Taiwan's Unique Food Specialties

Food is one thing that Taiwanese continue to master throughout the years. Eating is considered a favorite pastime and it is often a part of their many celebrations, sacred rituals and family gatherings. Make sure you know and try a few of the country's unique food specialties since cooks and chefs put a lot of energy and concentration on it.

You will be surprised that several famous dishes are rich in nutritious content and have great tastes and aromas that can only be found in this part of Southeast Asia. Taiwan cooking is basically derived from traditional Chinese methods which incorporate meticulous usage of herbs and spices to make sure that you get full flavor as well as a lovely presentation.

Original Taiwan

Taiwan is famous for great seafood dishes like grilled or steamed squid, prawn or shrimp. Authentic Taiwanese cooking is also known as Holo or Minnanese. Ginger is the most common spice added to the delicacy and compared to original Chinese cuisine; Taiwanese food tastes less salty and is light on the stomach.

Other food specialties include shrimp rolls, fried eel, baked clams and crabs with rich ginger honey sauce. When frying, Taiwanese use pork fat which provide instant flavor to meats. Dumplings and dimsum are also common in Taipei.

Peking

This is very common yet unique in Taiwan and mainland China. It makes use of wheat products like breads, noodles and cakes together with meat. You have to try Peking duck which is steamed and seasoned with several herbs and spices. Beef in soy sauce is also complimented by the wheat products as well.

The noodles or cake neutralizes the slightly salty and sweet taste of the meat. You can eat the meat sandwiched in the pancake like a burrito or have noodles as a side dish. The meat may also be served in pre-packed dumpling form.

Canton

This food specialty is still derived from mainland China and Hong Kong which usually makes use of noodles and vegetables. Stir fried or sautéed crispy noodles are a must-try in Taiwan. Soup is also a delicious specialty which includes a lot of vegetables, chicken, beef or seafood. This style of cooking favors roasting over frying of meats. Great examples are roast duck, chicken and pigeon. Carrots and broccoli are used in most dishes as a component or garnish. Basically, the flavor of Cantonese cooking has a mild spiciness and sweetness to it.

Appetizers and Desserts

Taiwanese appreciate appetizers as well and have over a hundred varieties ranging from crackers, vegetable platters and dumplings to rice cakes, tofu and fish snacks. The night market is full of these small on-the-go original specialties or you can try several at once in downtown restaurants. As for desserts, Taiwanese love fruit mainly like banana, strawberry, kiwi and mango. These go well with pancakes, honey or ice cream.

Other Specialties

Other types of Taiwanese cooking you might also want to try are Hakka, Hunan, Jiangzhe which is derived from mainland China, Szechuan which is popular in Western culture, Vegetarian which makes use of meat alternatives like vegetable meat and soy products and Northern Style which is also greatly influenced by authentic Chinese dishes.

Watch out for cheese and fermented products like wine since it may prove to be intolerable by an untrained stomach. These also do not smell too good which may affect your overall appetite.

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