Many people would say that not having visited a night market is the same as not having been to Taiwan, but did you know that there are actually two types of night markets in Taiwan?
One is the shopping street type, where vendors and stores are almost always in the same location and open every day, such as the Ningxia Night Market in Taipei and the FengChia Night Market in Taichung. The other type is a large open space,like a big road or a huge parking area where stalls from all over Taiwan are set up at a fixed time and week. This time, we're going to tell you what snacks you should never miss when you're visiting night markets.
The Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning in Sweden held the Taiwan Culture Night during the spring semester, inviting friends to experience traditional Taiwanese night market culture and cuisine: mango shaved ice, candied fruit, bubble milk tea, and the ring-toss game. If you missed this event, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, as we will regularly organize gatherings related to Taiwanese culture!
Taiwan's night markets and snacks are definitely something you shouldn't miss! After reading this article, you'll know why, so remember to try them out next time you visit Taiwan!
1. Ding Bian Cuo
Dingbiancuo is one of the most famous snacks in Keelung MiaoKou Night Market. Originally, Dingbiancuo is a rice snack from Fuzhou, China, but the owner combined it with seafood in Keelung, such as shrimp and squid, to make Dingbiancuo a speciality in Keelung Night Market.
The word "Ding'' refers to the large frying pan, and "Cuo'' refers to the way the rice pulp bubbles up at the edge of the frying pan, which is also pronounced the similar as the Taiwanese word "slowly", meaning that delicious food needs time to simmer slowly.
2. Cold Tapioca Pearl
They are similar to the pearls in bubble tea, and they are both chewy food. Chilled dumplings usually have two layers, with a transparent skin on the outside and different colors in the middle.
The most common ones are green for matcha, red for red bean, and lavender for taro, making them a cool and sweet snack to beat the summer heat. Nowadays, cool rounds are less common in Taiwan, so if you see a dessert that looks like a jewel, remember to buy it and have a taste!
3. Salty deep-fried chicken
If you want to describe the size of food, what would you use as a scale? In Taiwan, we often laugh and say "This deep-fried chicken is bigger than my face!” Then you know that in Taiwan's deep-fried chicken stores, besides the deliciousness of the chicken, the size is also one of the gimmicks.
In addition to the basic spicy and original flavors, some people have also invented such "evil" flavors as deep-fried chicken with pineapple and shrimp balls, or deep-fried chicken with strawberry and mango cheese. Yuck?!
4. Boiled Salty Chicken
Boiled Salty Chicken is the best choice for people who can't think of what to eat for dinner! You can say it is a mildly flavored, cold braised dish.
Boiled Salty Chicken is simply seasoned with salt, oil, white pepper and different vegetables, such as tofu or other small dishes. A refreshing meal that may also be very suitable for people who are on a diet!
5. Candied haws
When I was a kid, I was envious when I saw people carrying Candied haws as long as swords at the night market. The candy-coated fruit could be tomatoes, strawberries, grapes, or any other kind of fruit. At a time when chocolate fountains were popular, Candied haws were available in a chocolate version in addition to white sugar or maltose icing, making them a dream item for children.
Taiwan's night markets used to be like our department stores, with games for children, stalls to buy daily necessities, and mouthwatering scents coming from food trucks that tempted people to stop for food and drinks.
Each place has a different style, so the next time you come to Taiwan, besides the famous night markets, why not experience the genuine local night market culture?
Besides regularly organizing cultural experiences and language exchange activities, the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning in Sweden also offers language courses for students of different ages and proficiency levels.
Registration for the autumn semester has already begun. Feel free to click and share the following link to learn more detailed information.
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