What to eat in Taiwan

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• What else should the list cover? Desserts and pastriesNon-alcoholic drinksLocal alcohol

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1. Try Taiwanese beef noodle soup (niu rou mian)

   Taiwan's national obsession features chewy wheat noodles, meltingly tender beef shank or tendon, and a slow-simmered broth infused with soy bean paste, star anise, and aromatics. Choose between the spicy red-braised broth (hong shao) or the lighter, herbal clear broth (qing dun).

   Always spoon in a heap of the complimentary pickled mustard greens (suan cai) found on every table; their sharp acidity cuts through the unctuous beef marrow fat.

2. Try braised pork rice (lu rou fan)

   The quintessential Taiwanese comfort food: steamed white rice topped with finely hand-diced pork belly braised for hours in soy sauce, rice wine, shallots, and five-spice powder. Southern versions in Tainan tend to be noticeably sweeter and use larger meat cuts.

   Order it with a braised soy egg (lu dan) and braised firm tofu (dougan), ladled directly from the same bubbling master stock pot.

3. Try steamed pork belly bun (gua bao)

   A soft, fluffy steamed folded bun packed with thick braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, crushed sweetened peanut powder, and fresh cilantro. The interplay between rich, fatty pork, sour pickles, and sweet peanut powder defines the dish.

   Stall owners usually let you choose your preferred pork cut: fatty (fei), lean (shou), or half-and-half (ban fei ban shou) for optimal juiciness.

4. Try stinky tofu (chou doufu)

   Tofu fermented in an aged vegetable and herb brine that gives off an intense, pungent aroma yet delivers a mild, savory depth. Beginners should order it deep-fried: crispy on the outside, creamy inside, accompanied by garlicky sauce and sweet pickled cabbage.

   At night markets, seasoned eaters also flock to the spicy mala stewed version simmered in numbing chili broth alongside duck blood curds.

5. Try giant fried chicken cutlet (da ji pai)

   A flattened, palm-sized chicken breast cutlet marinated in soy, garlic, and rice wine, coated in sweet potato starch, and deep-fried to brittle crispness. It is dusted hot out of the fryer with aromatic white pepper salt and five-spice powder.

   Vendors typically refuse to slice the cutlet into pieces; keeping it whole locks in the steaming juices while you eat it on the go from a paper pouch.

6. Try Taiwanese oyster omelet (o-a-tsian)

   Plump rock oysters seared on a flat-top griddle with greens and egg, bound by a sweet potato starch slurry that turns chewy and gelatinous. The entire omelet is coated in a sticky, sweet-and-savory pink sauce made of fermented soy, tomato, and sugar.

   The freshest renditions are found in western coastal port cities like Keelung and Tainan, where day-boat oysters are delivered directly to stalls.

7. Try black pepper bun (hu jiao bing)

   Crisp, sesame-crusted wheat buns stuffed with minced pork, mountain scallions, and an assertive punch of freshly cracked black pepper. Bakers slap the buns directly against the scorching clay walls of cylindrical charcoal tandoor-style ovens.

   Nibble a small corner first to let the scalding meat broth escape before taking a full bite, or you risk burning your mouth on the molten juices.

8. Try soup dumplings (xiao long bao)

   Delicate steamed dumplings folded with eighteen pleats, encasing a ball of minced pork and gelatinized stock that melts into boiling-hot soup inside the bamboo steamer. Eat by placing one in a soup spoon, piercing the skin to sip the broth, then adding shredded ginger and black vinegar.

   Though born in the Jiangnan region of mainland China, Taiwanese master chefs elevated the paper-thin skin and balance of soup to culinary perfection.

9. Try Taiwanese bawan (ba-wan)

   A disc-shaped dumpling encased in a translucent, chewy dough made from sweet potato and rice starch, filled with marinated pork chunks, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms. Steamed first and then poached in warm oil, it comes drenched in sweet-spicy garlic sauces.

   Originating in Changhua County, ba-wan is the ultimate textbook example of the bouncy, elastic "Q" texture beloved across Taiwanese gastronomy.

10. Try oyster and pork intestine vermicelli (o-a mi-suan)

    Delicate red wheat vermicelli cooked down until silken in a thick, bonito-infused broth loaded with baby oysters and braised pork intestines. Bowls are finished with a splash of black vinegar, a spoonful of crushed raw garlic, and fresh cilantro leaves.

    Because the broth is thickened with starch, this dish is eaten with a spoon rather than chopsticks, often standing upright directly around the stall.

11. Try Taiwanese breakfast egg crepe (dan bing)

    A classic morning staple featuring a thin, slightly chewy flour crepe cooked on a griddle over a whisked egg with scallions, rolled tightly and sliced. Popular fillings include melty cheddar, bacon, sweet shredded pork floss (rousong), and sweet corn.

    Drizzle generously with thick, sweet garlic-soy paste (jiang you gao) and pair it with a tall cup of warm, fresh soy milk.

12. Try sticky rice roll (fan tuan)

    A portable breakfast torpedo of hot sticky glutinous rice wrapped tightly around a super-crispy fried dough cruller (youtiao). It is packed with preserved mustard greens, dried pork floss, and braised tea egg or salted duck yolk.

    Hand-molded to order using a towel to compress the scalding rice, it is best eaten within minutes before the inner cruller loses its crunch.

13. Try pineapple cake (feng li su) Desserts and pastries

    Golden, buttery shortbread pastries enclosing a dense jam center made of slow-simmered local pineapples. Traditional recipes blend in winter melon for a mellow chew, while modern artisan versions feature tart, fibrous, pure indigenous pineapple.

    The premier edible souvenir of Taiwan; reputable bakery boutiques will invite you to sit down for a complimentary cake and cup of hot oolong tea before buying.

14. Try Taiwanese mango shaved ice (mang guo bing) Desserts and pastries

    A towering mound of micro-shaved frozen milk snow smothered in heaps of fresh, sweet Irwin mango chunks, drizzled with condensed milk, and topped with mango gelato or pudding. The portion sizes are deliberately generous, designed to be shared among friends.

    Peak fresh mango season runs from May through September; during winter months, reputable ice parlors switch to fresh Taiwanese strawberries.

15. Try silken tofu pudding (dou hua) Desserts and pastries

    Delicate curds of warm or iced silken soy pudding floating in an aromatic brown sugar or ginger-infused syrup. Customize your bowl with traditional toppings like soft-simmered peanuts, red adzuki beans, taro balls, and boba pearls.

    Enjoyed ice-cold with crushed ice slush in summer heat, or served steaming hot with warming spiced ginger syrup during cooler winter evenings.

16. Try wheel cakes (che lun bing) Desserts and pastries

    Disc-shaped griddled batter cakes cooked in heavy iron molds resembling cartwheels, brimming with warm, luscious fillings. Classic flavors include sweet red bean paste, rich egg custard, and whipped taro paste, alongside savory cabbage or cheese.

    Only buy from carts with steady turnover so you receive yours blisteringly hot and crisp from the griddle rather than soggy from a warming tray.

17. Try Taiwanese bubble tea (zhen zhu nai cha) Non-alcoholic drinks

    The iconic Taiwanese creation made from robust black tea shaken with milk and chewy, brown sugar-infused tapioca pearls. Ordering involves calibrating your personal preference for sugar sweetness (tangdu) and ice levels (bingkuai).

    Don't miss the brown sugar pearl fresh milk variant (hei tang zhen zhu xian nai), where caramelized warm pearls contrast against cold farm milk without tea.

18. Try high mountain oolong tea (gao shan cha) Non-alcoholic drinks

    Semi-oxidized tea harvested from terraced mountain gardens over 1,000 meters above sea level in mist-shrouded ranges like Alishan and Lishan. The hand-rolled jade pearls produce a pale golden liquor with floral aromas, buttery undertones, and zero astringency.

    Experience gongfu tea ceremony in tea pavilions around the hills of Maokong or Jiufen, where staff guide you through aroma smelling cups and multiple infusions.

19. Try fresh papaya milk (mu gua niu nai) Non-alcoholic drinks

    A velvety street beverage blended to order at fruit stands from ripe Taiwanese red-flesh papaya, fresh milk, and crushed ice. It is sweet, creamy, and soothing after salty, fried night market grazing.

    Drink it within twenty minutes of blending; natural papain enzymes in the fresh fruit will break down milk proteins, turning the shake bitter and curdled if left standing.

20. Try Taiwan Beer Gold Medal Local alcohol

    The national lager brewed with locally harvested Formosa ponlai rice alongside barley, yielding a clean, crisp, and thirst-quenching taste. Fruity iterations blended with natural mango or pineapple juices are widely enjoyed as low-alcohol refreshers.

    Seek out the unpasteurized Taiwan Beer 18 Days bottle in convenience stores, delivered cold-chain and sold only within an eighteen-day window from brewing.

21. Try Kinmen Kaoliang liquor (gaoliang jiu) Local alcohol

    A clear, potent spirit (typically 38% or 58% ABV) fermented from sorghum grain on Kinmen Island near the mainland coast. It delivers intense aromas of dried fruit, toasted grain, and licorice, finishing with fiery dryness.

    Customarily consumed neat at banquets from micro-thimble glasses with loud toasts of "ganbei" (bottoms up) alongside oily braised meats.

22. Try Taiwanese single malt whisky Local alcohol

    World-acclaimed single malt whisky matured in Yilan County, where extreme subtropical heat accelerates barrel interaction fourfold compared to Scotland. The resulting drams overflow with notes of ripe mango, coconut, vanilla, and sweet baking spice.

    Sample cask-strength expressions matured in Vinho Barrique or Oloroso sherry butts at cocktail lounges in Taipei or pick up bottles duty-free upon departure.