40 Taiwanese foods we can't live without
外國人眼中的40種著名台灣小吃(2)
11. Tian bu la (甜不辣)
Tian
bu la refers to fish paste that has been molded into various shapes and sizes,
deep-fried, then boiled in a broth. Before eating, the pieces of solid fish
paste are taken out of the broth and smothered in brown sauce.
Doesn't
sound like much, but it delivers plenty of the sweet flavors and chewy textures
beloved by Taiwanese. Tian bu la is basically a Taiwan take on Japanese oden,
with more sugariness, tougher fish cakes and a signature sauce.
After
finishing the pieces of fish cakes, there's more to come. Get some soup from
the vendor and add it to the remaining sauce in the bowl. Mix and drink the
flavor bomb.
編按：甜不辣，源自日語tempura (てえンぷら）乃油榨食品
12. Ba wan (肉圓)
The
ba wan is Taiwan's mega dumpling.
Made
with a dough of rice flour, corn starch and sweet potato starch, it looks
almost translucent after cooking. Pork, veggies and sometimes eggs are stuffed
inside and gravy is poured on top.
It
is commonly believed that ba wan was invented during periods of scarcity. The
simple pork dumpling was then a luxurious snack enjoyed only during the Lunar
New Year festival.
編按：台中及彰化肉圓均有名
13. Fried chicken (鹽酥雞)
In
the fried chicken hall of fame, Taiwan deserves its own exhibit. Not only has
it made the giant fried chicken cutlet (No. 35 on this list) a cult classic,
but its popcorn chicken is dangerously addictive.
The
chicken is chopped into bite-sized pieces, marinated, dipped in batter and
deep-fried. A generous sprinkling of salt and pepper complete the morish
morsels. It's a ubiquitous snack on the city streets.
The flaky
scallion pancake, Taiwan's food porn queen.
14. Flaky scallion pancake (蔥抓餅)
There
is nothing more appetizing than the sight of a flaky scallion pancake being
slowly torn apart. Add cheese and egg fillings to maximize the visuals.
Devour
this night market staple in a few bites to ensure it is steaming hot and chewy.
編按：原為新疆食物之一
15. Oyster vermicelli (蚵仔米線)
A
bowl of great oyster vermicelli should have a thick, flavorful soup base while
the thin rice noodles and oysters should still retain their distinct texture.
Some
people will add chopped intestines for a funky dimension to the soup.
It
is a gooey, slurpable dish, more soup than noodle, with an intense briny taste.
Ay-Chung
(阿宗)
You need two
hands to eat this, one to hold your nose.
16. Stinky tofu (臭豆腐)
This
is the world's best love-it-or-hate-it snack and Taiwan does it just right.
The
"fragrant" cube of bean curd is deep-fried and draped with sweet and
spicy sauce. It you hold your nose, it looks and tastes just like a plain ol'
piece of fried tofu, with a crisp casing and soft center like pudding.
But
what's the fun in eating that? Inhale deeply and relish the stench, the
smellier, the better.
"See, it
has a perfect Taiwan shape."
17. Sweet potato (地瓜)
Leaving
taste, smell and nutritional value aside, the sweet potato stands out for one
particular reason in Taiwan -- it is shaped like the island. For this, the
sweet potato occupies a very special place in every Taiwanese heart.
Taiwan-grown
sweet potatoes are added to soup with ginger, or roasted by street vendors in
ovens converted from oil-drums, or ground to a flour and added to other dishes
to give texture, or fried into sweet potato chips.
As
long as the beloved root vegetable is in it, Taiwanese love it.
18. Shaved ice mountain (刨冰山)ー
One
good thing about the hot, humid and stormy summers in Taiwan is the excuse to
eat shaved ice mountain.
An
oversized pile of shaved ice is heaped with fresh fruit and flavorings, such as
mango pieces, juice and sweet condensed milk. It wins hands down just by looks
alone.
A
more traditional take is a smaller option, less dramatic but with freshly made
mini rice balls.
So good that we
ate half of it before remembering to take a photo.
19. Pepper cakes (胡椒餅)
The
must-have at Rao He night market, the pepper cake is a crispy pocket filled
with juicy pork that is infused with the aromatic bite of black pepper. Baked
on the wall of a clay oven, the pies are a delicious ode to the pepper plant.
Make
sure you get more than one, or risk the overwhelming sense of regret when you
have to wait again in the long queue for more.
20. Din Tai Fung Dumpling House (鼎泰豐小籠包)
Xiaolongbao
may be a Shanghainese delicacy, but some argue that the Taiwanese perfected it.
Taiwanese restaurant Din Tai Fung does its Shanghai comrades proud with their
succulent pork soup dumplings.
Din
Tai Fung’s bite-sized xiaolongbao have a consistently high quality. Their
paper-thin wrappings hold rich hot broth and tender pork meatballs.
Gasps
can be heard intermittently at Din Tai Fung as diners brave the scalding hot
soup that squirts out upon biting the dumpling.
Fishballs.
Round things are just fun to eat.
Justin Lai 編
04/30/2016
未完
