Nowadays, boba stores can be found in all corners of the world. Although, not many realize that pearl milk tea originated in Taiwan during the 1980s. For some of the best tapioca boba teas in Taiwan, there are several chains that differentiate themselves with personalized degrees of tapioca densities, flavor variations, jellies, juices…and much more. In Taiwan, tapioca teas raise the bar through detailed customization. It’s all about choices when it comes to levels of sweetness, caffeine, and pulp.

Stinky tofu is fermented bean curd, fried then drizzled with soy sauce, finally topped with pickled cabbage for crunch and sour balance against the salty sauce.

This is certainly a traditional food in Taiwan’s night markets that carries a strong scent but embodies large amounts of vitamin B. Travelers have mixed reviews about it, locals love it. Try it, then decide.

If you’re confused by what is tube rice pudding, think of sticky rice and mushrooms fried together. Then stuff them in a bamboo tube to steam with pork and an egg. It’s served without the bamboo but topped with coriander and sauces. The scent is intoxicating.

Beef noodle soup is instantly everyone’s favorite Taiwanese food as it also has its own festival. Imagine chunks of braised beef, simmered in broth, vegetables with noodles added. The result is a hot bowl of tasty comfort. The original recipe derives from Tan dynasty, created by the Hui people. In addition to distinct variations in China, the ones in Taiwan are often referred to as red-braised with a kick of heat.

Braised pork rice is certainly considered a significant Taiwanese food served in restaurants and street vendor carts all over the island. It’s slow-braised pork belly, simmered for hours with soy sauce, garlic, spring onions, cinnamon, star anise, and ginger. Poured on top of a bowl of white rice, lou rou fan becomes glistening pork fat that is ultra fragrant and delicious.

Hail to the Taiwanese hamburger! It juicily blends savory and sweet. Inside the buns – shaped like a pita bread with a fluffier dough – is typically a piece of ultra juicy and fatty pork belly with coriander, pickled Chinese cabbage sprinkled with peanut powder.

Furthermore, Taiwanese hamburgers are also devoured during festivals and special celebrations. Today in western countries, Taiwanese hamburgers are having a moment as even Michelin chefs are also creating their own flavorful versions.

In many culture, pig’s blood is often reworked into sausages as fantastic source of minerals. In Taiwan, the local version is referred to as “pig’s blood cake,” which combines pig’s blood and sticky rice. Sometimes, the cake is served on a wooden stick, dipped with peanut powder. In hot pots, pig’s blood cake is also a fan favorite as an ingredient to pour into the spicy pot.

Braised congo eel is a popular dish often seen at night market food stands. Pieces of eel are fried then braised. The soup is hot, accompanied with noodles, sprinkled with chopped coriander. Frequently paired with lu rou fan (braised pork rice bowl,) as the ultimate savory and satisfying duo.

Who doesn’t love an airy mochi? In Taiwan, peanut-powdered mochis can be bought from street carts, as a casual snack. The glutinous rice balls are freshly made, as the seller rolls each ball on a bed of peanut powder and brown sugar. Soft, chewy and tender. They’re sold in boxes, each contains six to eight.

A breakfast superstar dish, fried dough sticks are long, golden brown strips of wheat flour dough, deep fried in a tank of oil. Vendors at breakfast nooks around the corner wake up at 4 a.m. to make each as fresh and crispy as they can be. You tiao, as they’re called in Mandarin, can be eaten by itself, dipped in a bowl of soy milk, crushed inside rice rolls, or sandwiched with shao bing (clay oven roll.)

Similar to empanadas in Spanish-speaking countries, chive pockets are crispy snacks, typically sold by street vendors. They are usually larger than normal dumplings, baked or pan-fried rather than boiled in water. Inside each sack is finely chopped chives with crystal noodles. For vegetarians, these savory hot pockets can be lovely options.

Also known as Ta-a noodles (spoken in Taiwanese,) or “slack season noodles”; danzai is another Taiwanese national dish made of a bowl of egg noodles in shrimp broth, minced pork, coriander, bean sprouts topped with shrimp. Certainly a hot bowl of perfection.

In Taiwan, soy milk is a popular beverage since many of the population is lactose intolerant. Along with soy milk as a healthy beverage for breakfast, the other popular traditional drink to pair with Taiwanese food in the morning is peanut rice milk, or mi jian. It delivers a sweet and nutty taste, with a creamy and thick texture. Also another nutritious option for those who aren’t able to consume lactose.

No one ever visits Taiwan without stepping foot inside Din Tai Fung to devour delectable soup dumplings, or xiao long bao, that have the entire world impressed and ready for more. Din Tai Fung’s meticulous execution spans from its flavorful dishes to impeccable service and dining ambiance. Soup dumplings are comprised of almost paper-thin dough, perfectly steamed while wrapping boiled soup inside each dumpling that also pocket minced pork, shrimp and vegetables.

Crispy yet chewy are these wonderful fish balls made with a bit more air than other kinds of meatballs. The air allows each bite to be infused with flavors from the soup that are added with chopped celery and white pepper. Taiwan encompasses outstanding seafood, making fish ball soup one comforting traditional Taiwanese dish.

A fun take on glutinous rice is a celebratory Taiwanese dish eaten especially during festivals, Lunar New Year or when a family friend about to welcome a new child into the home. Sticky rice is glutinous rice cooked with mushrooms, chopped sausage, soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine. Completely aromatic and flavorful.

Sweet potato is often viewed as a symbol of Taiwan. Not only are yams shaped like the island, the highly nutritious vegetable also aided locals through harsh times of poverty in Taiwanese history. Hence, sweet potato congee makes a soothing meal, to recover from a cold or to accompany a table full of typical Taiwanese dishes.

Taiwanese tea eggs are boiled in tea and the legendary Chinese five-spice powder including: ground cinnamon, star anise, fennel seeds, cloves and Szechuan peppercorns. These eggs make the perfect snack and can be found on street vendors as well as any convenient store, like Family Mart or Seven-Eleven. These eggs feature Taiwan’s most significant resource: tea leaves.

Meant to warm cold bodies during chilly winter nights, spicy hotspot has seeped into Taiwanese food culture so deeply that it is consumed and enjoyed all year round, as new hotpot restaurants open in Taipei almost on a monthly basis. The spot is split into two flavors: spicy side, and non-spicy side. The waiter may also ask the level of spiciness: mild, medium, or extra piquant. Diners can order various ingredients to add into the pot once it’s boiled: meat balls, thinly sliced meats, dumplings, vegetables, seafood, intestines…etc.

Among a plethora of sweet fruits grown in Taiwan, sugar cane is another natural resource since the island often experiences humid climate as well as abundant rainfall. At night markets or juice bars, sugar cane juices are freshly squeezed. Sweet, refreshing and delivers healthy benefits, like: hydration, boost in immune system, better digestions and beautiful skin.

Flakey scallion pancakes are popular street food items, with its scrumptious texture created by folded dough mixed with minced scallions, pan-fried then rolled. Its delicate layers become crispy after being cooked on a hot surface. At times, customers can choose different toppings, including: cheese, ham…and more.

Taiwanese egg roll is another absolute breakfast staple to accompany rice or soy milk. It’s a fried egg mixed with chives, then Taiwanese tortilla is placed on top to create a wrap. Sometimes, the restaurant owner may ask if cheese is preferred. Drizzle some soy sauce or hot sauce on the wrap, this becomes the ultimate breakfast of champions.

Travelers may see these cute little buns all over Shanghai, but the Taiwanese version of pan-fried buns is bigger and they’re fried upside down. Inside each juicy bun is a steamy mixture of vegetables (cabbage, or chives) and pork filling, making it the perfect afternoon snack! This one is also quite prevalent throughout night markets!

Taiwanese worker bees live on Taiwanese bento boxes, so do college kids. It’s a lovely rectangular box filled with everything a foodie would crave for in a comprehensive meal, typically the diner can choose between: fried pork/chicken/fish, a marinated egg or not, and vegetables on a bed of white rice. It’s a staple in a local’s daily life, certainly don’t miss the ones on High Speed Railway. They’re iconic!

Taiwan is a tropical island with extremely hot and humid summers, creating ideal climate conditions to order a frozen bowl of shaved ice topped with golden towers of fresh and juicy mangos, glazed with condensed milk. The most legendary restaurant is located on Yong Kang Street. Most vendors sell them with various toppings including: red bean, strawberries, peanuts, taro and so much more.

Made by order, red bean cake is a typical street food, often seen in most markets. The stuffing can vary from red bean paste, sweet cream, matcha, to taro. Today, there are modern takes on this classic. Chocolate drizzles on top of interesting flavors, like peanuts, can be bought at certain food stands.

Shaped like the sun, suncake originated in Taichung – a city situated in the middle of Taiwan. The outer cake is flakey and carries condensed malt sugar inside. It makes a delicious and fantastic souvenir item to bring home.

Taiwanese pan-fried rice noodles is a popular dish to share in families, with a recipe passed down throughout generations. The rice noodles are firstly fried in a wok, mixed with vegetables and shredded pork. Mix in a dash of chili paste and soy sauce, this dish transcends into a fluffy replacement for white rice!

Made from mesona – an herb in the mint family – grass jelly is treated like an excellent dessert in Taiwan. Locals love to eat grass jelly mixed with tapioca and beans infused in sugar water. At restaurants that sells grass jelly, there’s a buffet of tapiocas and ingredients that diners can choose from. The dish can be served either hot or cold, depending on the season.

Pidan tofu is an integration of “thousand year old eggs” – preserved eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, and lime for several weeks – sliced, laid on top of soft tofu. With the addition of other fragrant toppings, including: soy sauce, sesame oil, pork floss or coriander. It can be served as a main dish or an appetizer.

Grilled Taiwanese sausage is synonymous with Taiwan’s night markets, simply because many are stationed at the beginning or end of the main street. Key ingredients include pork, liquor and spices. Each is grilled as the orders are taken, and sizzles with sauce of choice: garlic, wasabi, basil, ginger…and more.

Oyster vermicelli is a dish all about textures. Smooth and thin vermicelli work against a dense yet slurpy soup. Oysters are fresh and tender while cut up intestines are chewy and flavorful. Sprinkled with coriander, this noodle soup is another outstanding choice at Taiwan’s night markets.

Traveling foodies might have already tried “aburaage” in Japan, but the Taiwanese version of stuffed tofu pockets includes glass noodles and fish paste. After soaking in broth, each bite busts with flavors and full of texture.

Smoked or steamed, goose meat is so popular in Taiwan that there are restaurants completely dedicated to this special kind of meat. The gamey taste is akin to a blend of chicken and duck. Fans of both would love this authentic dish, typically paired with sliced ginger.