Taiwan is a small country located in East Asia. It is surrounded by China to the west, South Korea and Japan to the north, the Philippines to the South, and the Pacific Ocean to the east. Its official title is the Republic of China, but don’t get yourself confused—China and Taiwan are two separate states and should be treated as such!
Despite Taiwan’s small area, it’s home to over 23 million residents. While most of them are of Chinese descent, more and more foreigners are coming over as it’s a country that’s developing rapidly. With a good mix of history, culture, environment, and more, Taiwan certainly is a place to be!
So, if you’re interested in visiting Taiwan (and we highly recommend you should!), don’t forget to stop by any of their restaurants to sample their signature dishes.
1. Beef Noodle Soup
Beef noodle soup is composed of braised beef, chewy noodles, fresh vegetables, and a hearty, rich broth. It comes in many variations and can be found almost anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. Red braised beef noodle soup, in particular, are dishes that are popular in Taiwan because it was proudly made by Chinese immigrants who fled to Taiwan.
In this dish, the beef is stewed in the broth for several hours, infusing all of that meaty flavor into the broth and turning tender in the process. It’s served nice and hot with a variety of cold side dishes to complement including dried tofu, seaweed, and pork intestine.
2. Marinated Pork Rice
This dish is Taiwanese comfort food at its finest. The recipe is fairly quick and easy to make, and the ingredients are easily accessible as well. You can definitely make your own version of this at home even as a beginner!
There are two variations of marinated pork rice. The first uses braised pork belly slices and is eaten primarily in northern Taiwan. The other uses finely minced pork instead and is eaten more in southern Taiwan. Whichever one you choose depends on your preference—would you rather eat tender and fatty pork belly, or savory and flavorful minced pork?
Eat this dish with some steaming white rice, bok choy, and hard-boiled eggs, and you’ve got a filling meal!
3. Taiwanese Bao
This is Taiwan’s version of a hamburger! Instead of the typical buns we usually use in our burgers, the Taiwanese use steamed white bread that’s very soft and chewy. It’s then filled to the brim with red pork belly, coriander, crushed peanuts, and other fillings of your choosing. They are popular street dishes not just in Taiwan but also in the rest of the world.
Like marinated pork rice, Taiwanese bao is very easy to make. You will only need a few choice ingredients from your pantry to make a dish that’s as yummy and addicting as this one.
4. Oyster Omelet
This dish boasts of Taiwan’s resources from the land and sea at the same time! As the name suggests, it’s an omelet that has been mixed with sweet potato starch to give it a thicker consistency. Then, it’s fried with scoopfuls of fresh oysters and topped with savory sauces, chives, and other toppings for some extra punch.
Oyster omelet is a staple in Taiwanese night markets and offers you a very filling meal for an awesome bargain. You could even say that it’s the representative night market food—like all other products in the market, it’s cheap while still being of excellent quality.
Indeed, many foreigners in Taiwan claim that this is their favorite Taiwanese dishes by far!
5. Bubble Tea
Who hasn’t heard of Taiwanese bubble tea? It has taken the world by storm! Bubble tea is a tea drink mixed with lots of milk, sugar, and chewy tapioca balls called boba or pearls. It can also come with add-ons like jelly, aloe vera, cream cheese, and so many more as well. Bubble tea comes in a wide variety of colors and flavors just like you see in the picture below.
Did you know that bubble tea is so synonymous with Taiwan that they considered adding an image of it onto their passports? It is undoubtedly a drink that the Taiwanese are incredibly proud of. It’s stopped being just a drink—now, it’s a cultural icon.
Head on over to Taiwan on April 30 to celebrate National Bubble Tea Day with them!
