Night markets are seen throughout Taiwan and are an excellent way to experience the local culture and cuisine. Known for their cheap and amazing offerings, eating one's way through a night market will cost less than $10 US typically. With many food items $1 US or less, it's important to come with an empty stomach and an open mind.
When touring various Taiwanese night markets, keep an eye out for these five items to get a real feel for some local snack favorites.
1. Oyster Omelet
Visit a large night market, like the Jiantan food building at the Shilin Night Market, and pretty much every row will feature at least two or three vendors making the signature oyster omelet. This famous dish is comprised of small oysters and egg base with starch, often times potato starch. The addition of the starch gives the omelet a thicker consistency, almost like a pancake base.
In addition, chopped greens are added during cooking and the omelet is typically topped with a sweet spicy red sauce before serving. The oyster omelet is the most traditional option, but for those not keen on the oysters, try shrimp, crab, scallop, or just a plain omelet with sliced cucumbers on the side.
2. Stinky Tofu or Chou Dofu
There is no way to miss the distinct overpowering odor of stinky tofu at any Taiwanese night market. The fermented tofu dish is considered by some to be the national dish of Taiwan. Many say the flavor is very mild as compared to its rotten stench permeating the food court walls.
Stinky tofu can be found is nearly every food stall inside places like the Jiantan food building at Shilin Night Market. It is not for those with weak stomachs as it takes quite a bit of fortitude just to get past the smell in order to get the first bite down. Wondering why stinky tofu is so stinky? It is fermented for up to several months in a brine that may include many ingredients from tame Chinese herbs, to less appetizing items like rotting seafood.
Stinky tofu in the night markets is deep fried, cut into pieces and topped with fermented cabbage and sauce. The flavor of stinky tofu can vary from vendor to vendor as the stench and flavor come from the individual brine used and the type of sauce it is served with.
Stinky tofu is one of the local snack items that people either love or hate, as there seems to be no in between. And be warned, even Bizarre Foods Host Andrew Zimmern found himself at the mercy of the chou dofu upon his visit to Dai's House of Unique Stink in Taipei.
3. Meat on a Stick
Walk through any night market and one would swear local Taiwanese are obsessed with putting food on a stick. If it can be skewered, it will likely be for sale in at least one food stall. From vegetables and normal cuts of meat to delicacies like duck tongue or chicken uterus, people line up to enjoy any food on a stick while shopping at the night market.
Local Taiwan sausages are a great option for those less inclined to try out their tolerance for bizarre foods. The sausages tend to be slightly sweet, come in a variety of sizes and flavors, including some imaginative fillings like fish roe and cuttlefish. Many vendors offer safer and less strange types of meat on a stick, such as beef, chicken, lamb, and pork.
For those who want the true night market experience, consider some of the less palatable sounding options like chicken butt, heart, gizzard, skin, and even some places serve chicken uterus. Other stalls offer duck tongue and heart, rooster testicles and combs, and even unlaid eggs. And do not forget to try pig's blood cake, often mixed with rice and also served on a stick. Many of these items actually taste much more appetizing than their names suggest, explaining their extreme popularity with locals.
4. Fried Chicken Steak
One of the more popular food items in Taiwan now is basically a fried chicken steak. Although this can be found at several chains throughout Taipei, locals seem to prefer several distinct stalls at the various night markets.
Basically a pounded out piece of chicken deep fried and topped with special powdery spices, lines can stretch way beyond the confines of the night market areas as people "flock" to try this local favorite. It is huge and easily shared between multiple people otherwise no one would likely be hungry for any other night market foods after finishing it.
5. Shaved Ice or Snow Ice
One of the best food features in night markets is the refreshing desserts like Taiwan shaved ice, or snow ice. Since the closure of the popular Taipei institution Ice Monster on Yong Kang Street, shaved ice lovers have been looking for other alternatives to satiate their craving. Many night markets have small stands or stalls that still feature various shaved ice desserts, and even a few that feature snow ice.
Snow ice is basically shaved ice but has been frozen with condensed milk or other flavorings first. Instead of the minute particles seen in Taiwanese shaved ice desserts, snow ice emerges like fluffy sheets that layer atop each other. When eaten, it melts in the mouth, much like snow does when picked up. Some of the more popular flavors of snow ice include green tea with red bean, passion fruit, mango, and chocolate.
Erin De Santiago - Erin is a freelance travel, food/wine, & Disney writer in Taipei, Taiwan, who has traveled within 40+ different countries to date.
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