江偉君的勵志雜記

I rate the cuisine in Taiwan as one of the most interesting and varied in the world. In Taiwan is a world of choice for any visitor coming to the city and it’s all available at a reasonable price. Thai, Korean, Cantonese, Japanese, North American, Argentinean, French, Italian and Vietnamese are to name just but a few. There is of course the fast food option. McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut (Dominoes too) and Subway can all be found in the city. However, if you are going to travel half way around the globe, then you have got to try the local cuisine.
Taiwanese food draws on influences from both Chinese and Japanese food. Its influence from Japan dates back to the Japanese occupancy before WWII, and its Chinese influence from the preceding 300 years when Taiwan was under Chinese (Qing Dynasty) rule.

Here are some things you should really try just to get you started. In some cases, you may have to be brave.

1. Hot Pot.
2. Beijing Duck (Taiwanese style)
3. The Seafood (There are some great seafood restaurants around town)
4. Stinky Tofu (Fermented Tofu deep-fried and served with sweet and sour cabbage)
5. Xian Shu Ji (A selection of local produce deep fried and served with Chinese Basil, onions, and garlic)
6. Zhong Zhi (Sticky rice wrapped in Banana leaves)
7. Barbecued Chinese Sausage and Rice sausage.
8. Sweet (or sour) soy bean milk with deep-fried crispy bread. (Usually served for breakfast.

These are among the more popular dishes in town and can be found in many restaurants and street markets around the city.

Hot Pot

Difficult to enjoy on a hot day, although it certainly helps if consumed in an air conditioned room, hot pot is basically a simmering pot of soup stock with raw ingredients on the side. You pick and choose the raw ingredients and cook them in the boiling stock. When cooked you remove from the stock and eat. Cooked food is usually dipped in a sauce of some kind before being eaten. When you’ve finished eating or you’ve had enough you simply pour yourself a bowl of the soup stock and drink. And that’s hot pot. The raw ingredients on the side usually consist of green veg, tofu, mushrooms, some root vegetables, seafood, and sliced meat. There are quite a few varieties available: Spicy hot pot, medicinal hot pot, milk hot pot, mushroom hot pot, sour hot pot, and of course regular hot pot. One of my favourite hot pot places serves spicy and/or sour hot pot. It’s located on Qi Sian Road just west of the junction with Bo Ai Road. If you get a chance it’s certainly worth the visit. A meal here can set you back about NT$ 1000, or 21 Euros/£18.

Have you tried Hot Pot before? What did you think? What’s your favourite style of hot pot?
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