Taiwan Food Guide: 22 x Best Taiwanese Foods!

Let’s start with the obvious question, what actually is Taiwanese food?

In my opinion, the food in Taiwan is some of the most underrated in the world. You won’t find many Taiwanese restaurants in other countries or see dishes on menus and think ‘that’s Taiwanese!’. However, don’t let that deter you from eating some of the best food in Asia.

Taiwanese cuisine is about more than individual dishes: it’s a culture. Rather than saying ‘how are you?’, locals say ‘have you eaten?’. I’m not quite sure what happens if the answer’s no but I’d imagine get you some food!

Taiwan is hands-down the best country I’ve visited for food markets. I challenge you to find a city without one. In Taipei, I went to five. These are sociable affairs often with outdoor restaurants, live music and whole families spending the evening together.

Locals of all ages and backgrounds rub shoulders as they eat the best food in Taiwan, and the culture is so much greater for it. The many markets also make Taiwan great for solo travellers because you never need to dine solo in a restaurant if you don’t want to.

Better yet, Taiwanese food is very affordable and won’t eat into your Taiwan budget. A few dollars will buy you a delicious and filling dinner!

Xiao long bao are undeniably tasty and moreish. The vinegar and soy dip went perfectly with smoky pork. They’re a little overpriced at 220 TWD for 10 but I’m glad I can say I tried them.

If you don’t fancy the queue for Din Tai Fung, it’s not a problem because there are dumplings all over Taiwan. You’ll find them at night markets, restaurants, street stalls and my favourite chain, Bafang Dumpling. Food at this no-frills franchise is so cheap – I paid 50 TWD for 10 dumplings which is a quarter of the price of Din Tai Fung.

There are so many combinations available including pork, leek, curry and shrimp. Choose either steamed dumplings, fried dumplings or dumpling noodle soup. Why not try all three?

I’d heard a lot about pineapple cake but didn’t get around to trying it until my last day in Taiwan. In fact, I ended up with a large box that I simply had to gorge my way through before leaving…

Is it like English pineapple upside-down cake made with real pineapples? Nope. This Taiwanese dessert is quite different: the filling is like a jam only thicker and stickier. It’s served inside a pastry similar to shortcake.

Apparently, pineapple imports were an important part of the Taiwanese economy during Japanese rule, hence this Taiwanese dish became popular. Today pineapple cake is mainly served at weddings and celebrations. Word has it the best in Taipei is served at Chia Te Bakery near Songshan station.

Beef noodle soup may sound Chinese, however it’s a well-loved Taiwanese dish eaten by locals all around the country.

I find noodle soups to be hit and miss: a bad one can be weak and watery but a good one is warming and flavoursome. The latter applies to the best noodle soups in Taiwan. These include cuts of braised beef, beef broth, veggies and noodles. It’s not one for veggies but many traditional Taiwanese foods aren’t.

If you try this Taiwanese food just once, ensure it’s at Yongkang Beef Noodles. I took a 40-minute round trip to sample these Michellin guide noodles and I didn’t regret it. They were pricey at 250 NTW – I guess they know they’re the best!

Say what? No Taiwan food guide would be complete without stinky tofu getting a mention. Locals love this dish and for that reason, I’d say it’s a must-try Taiwanese food. However, if you’re after something tasty that you’ll genuinely enjoy… well, maybe give it a miss.

Stinky tofu isn’t a funny or ironic name. It’s actually tofu that stinks. Locals love it although personally I can’t see why. The reason for the stench is that it’s been fermented for some time to add to its pungent flavour.

You’ll commonly find stinky tofu served at street food markets across the country. I tried it in Taichung which is a popular foodie city. My best advice is to order it with a group so you don’t get stuck with a whole box if you don’t like it.

Top Taiwan tip – the Hunger Game tour from Tour Me Away is a great way to try unusual dishes in Taipei and a bargain at 600 TWD.

If there’s one Taiwanese food that tastes so much better than it sounds, it’s taro ball soup. If you don’t know, taro is a root vegetable commonly used to flavour desserts and drinks in Asia. The texture of taro balls is unusual, made with a floury dough that’s soft yet springy.

To try one of the most famous Taiwanese dishes, I would suggest sampling sweet taro ball soup at Jiufen market, an hour from Taipei.

Shaved ice is a popular Taiwanese food with the young generation. Frozen ice (essentially ice cream) is shaved into a large pile and served with whatever topping you choose – I went for mango.

Like pineapple cake, this dish is closely tied to Japanese rule. Immigrants from Japan took the dish to Hawaii with them and nowadays, many people think it originated there. But the truth is that it actually began life in Taiwan. What better reason to try it during your trip?

This list of the best Taiwanese food isn’t in order of taste, otherwise sweet potato balls would be higher. I didn’t know what to expect of this dish but I love sweet potato so I had high hopes. What I didn’t anticipate was how light and snackable they’d be.

Sweet potato balls are usually served at night markets in servings of around eight. Wander on through the market and you’ll look down and realise you’ve scoffed the lot! These balls are hollow so they’re great as a pre-dinner snack which won’t leave you feeling too stuffed.

As a small island, there’s an abundance of fresh seafood served across Taiwan. The best bit is how affordable it is. Seafood fans visiting Taipei should make a trip to Tonghua Night Market on Linjiang Street where fresh clams are served as Taiwanese street food.

One unnamed stall had a queue around the corner which indicated to me that it would be good. This fresh serving of clams with chilli and lime only set me back a couple of dollars.

These thin rice noodles are popular in Taiwan, served with oyster, cuttlefish or pig intestine. It’s the rich, flavoursome sauce with the silky noodles that makes this Taiwanese dish a classic.

The most famous place to try vermicelli noodles is Shilin Night Market in Taipei. There’s a modest stall named A Hui Vermicelli which you could miss if it weren’t for the long queues. If they weren’t proof enough, it’s been listed in the Michelin Guide for 2018, 2019 and 2020. A hearty portion of vermicelli noodles is 30 TWD ($1).

These light, snackable desserts are a popular snack in both Taiwan and Japan. They’re essentially rounded pancakes stuffed with popular Asian filling, bean paste. Red bean paste is a classic but these days you’ll also find other flavours like matcha and boba.

Wheel cakes can be found at night markets all over Taiwan. They’re a cute snack often made in a mould that stamps a cat or cartoon character onto your dessert. What’s not to like?