#9 Taiwan Markets

Night Markets in Taiwan

One of the greatest fascinations of most anywhere in Southeast Asia is the night markets. The amount of stimulation your senses take in while walking through a night market would make for quite a tale. So instead I will use less words and more photos to show what you've may have been missing. ^^

First week in Taiwan, First trip to the Night Market!

Night Market in Kenting, Taiwan August 2013.

Along with the crowded and chaotic streets of inexpensive merchandise, there’s quite a few other hidden specialties to find in the markets. 

F E N G    C H I A    N I G H T    M A R K E T

Night Market traffic for scooters and cars can range from non-existent to a few making in through the road. 

For the night markets in Taiwan, vendors and shops open the earliest around 2 pm with the heaviest traffic coming through around dinner time, and usually closing around 11-11:30. The two largest in Taichung are Feng Chia Night Market and E Chung Night Market, both named after nearby universities. 

I remember as a teenager hanging out and spending hours at the mall or the biggest department store my friends and I could get to. The night markets seem to be just that for the young Taiwanese.  They are full of friends snagging a cheap (often fried) dinner, or patiently maneuvering the often crammed lanes, or on occasion, purchasing an inexpensive new hair piece, assorted sized bag, or dependably-cheap yet adorable pair of shoes.

Quick.

And Easy.

I Spy Mango Shaved Ice ^^

Before having Lasik in Taiwan, I would often pick out $2-5 USD frames and get them filled for under $20. So many styles to choose from, and with that cost, how could you not? I could even get my contacts for $7 a pair at the nearby night market! Yes, the same brand as I used in the States. Want a stylish or sporty watch, or just need a quick battery changed? Done, for dollars. 

One of my absolute favorite things to buy (anywhere) is earrings. Personally I love the more antique-like ones that are found in Malaysia or Cambodia, but Taiwan offers nearly every cartoon character you could think of as a stud. Among other endless styles and designs. 

Scarves, socks, and shoes are another easy weakness for ladies browsing in the night markets! Shoes range from $7-15 USD, however, since the average Taiwanese woman has very small feet all you will really find in the night markets are under size 9. These shoes are great for a night out or a quick but cute summer shoe. But, don't get too attached, as they won't last long and have been known to bust on a night out. 

Kid shoes too. 

E N D L E S S     S O C K S

A must from the night market, is your own
Chinglish shirt. I really should have found more.

Nothing can stop the claw. 

Cousin Jessica and her Fiance Nick on their visit to Taiwan. May 2018

Personalized stamps (and stickers) are another popular item, especially around us teachers who have to daily or weekly sign every student's assignment or report book. They’re perfect for teachers and cute for anyone with a name. ^^ Get a favorite emblem, symbol, or often in our case, a class name sigil. Students, as well, often have these to label their school bowls, bags, and supplies. 

Games in the night.

Games in the day.

This is full of alleys full of treasures. Sometimes down the smallest alleys you’ll find dolled up young-ish Taiwanese woman with fake eyelashes and multi-colored irises. They’re supermodel-like thin with unreasonable sizes displayed of the most adorable wardrobes that no girl with hips would ever fit into. 

Is it because these are miniature eggs it feels sad to try them?

Get some fresh fruit juice at any night market, any time! ^^

Day Markets in Taiwan

One of the first day trips with Uncle Michael and teachers of 2013-2014 school year. 

Disney, Pixar, Hello Kitty, Peanuts, Spongebob, My Melody
and other popular cartoons can always be found in Taiwan markets.

Day markets usually pop up in the parks every weekend. Vintage clothes, small hand-made crafted cards, jewels, key chains, and home decor. Nothing you'd really need, but it's nice to support local's business, and of course, surprise someone you adore with a simple, cute, yet thoughtful gift. ^^

Scooter mask is a must.

Day and Night Markets are a guarantee for strange smells, inexpensive fashion, and an assortment of cute gifts.  As I’ve been here five years, I rarely make purchases anymore, however, the night market is the most vibrant, dynamic, and culturally different setting you can instantly put yourself into on arrival. 

The Jade Market

J A D E 

Browsing the aisles of the Jade Market, July 2013. The original jade market was on Wenxin Road.
Two years ago it moved into a more secure, three story building, out a far stretch from the center of Taichung. 

Not sure what this instrument is,
but its sound was pure peace and beauty.

Of course getting real jade and authentic statues from Asia can cost a pretty penny. However, you are still able to find some nice quality things for a good price. The Jade Market is the only place in Taiwan where I do some bargaining on prices. It's where I can use my favorite phrase in Chinese, 'tai guile (guay-luh)' which means, 'too expensive.' ^^

Inside the new location.

I brought back a tea set for my grandma after my second year in Taiwan. It was a deep blue with golden trim and dragon paintings.

Coral is another very popular and expensive stone found in Taiwan.

I have not been able to find painted scrolls such as these since the location moved.
However, I did get a pair for family members in my first year before I knew how to haggle like pro.  

A quick comparison of Taiwan's markets to others. In other Southeast Asian country's markets, knock off sunglasses, perfumes, and purses overcrowd the lanes. Instead of small shops, loads and loads of often unorganized shipments are sprawled out over tables. There is always haggling involved in these other countries, where as in Taiwan the prices are already low and already set. (With the exception of the jade market.) Taiwan is quite a bit cleaner as well. Although it is just as crowded and just the same, you won't find a bathroom nearby.

Markets in Jiufen Old Street are a bit more clustered. 

Ode to the Night Markets of Taiwan

Colorful signs, rain or shine, 

friendly people, manicure shops  

endless fashion and beauty stops

-K 

#10 The Fruit, the Food & the Dining Experience

#10 The Fruit, the Food, and the Dining Experience

The abundance, freshness, and the variety of fruit here in Taiwan is indescribable. It’s seemingly one of the most incredible places to find and devour fruit. Being an island with mountains and tropical weather, more fruit is grown here than I could have dreamt existed. Taiwan even exports fruit to places you would already think have exceptional fruit, such as Japan. Fresh fruit markets and juice shops can be found every few kilometers in most areas of Taiwan. They have apples (even waxed apples!), oranges, grapes, and kiwi, enormous to miniature bananas, the sweetest strawberries (winter season) and the juiciest pineapples. They also have mango *, lychee, pomelo, guava, star fruit, papaya, dragonfruit, and newly discovered to me this year, passion fruit! I could go on, but I think you get the point. This video does a great job showing the excitement of Taiwan’s fruit and food markets. http://jetsettimes.com/2013/10/21/20-must-trys-fruits-taiwan/

Passion fruit. Tangy and sweet.

Golden Mango

Yu Win Mangoes, Wuxiang Mangoes, Awin Mangoes

Bigger is sometimes better. 

 M A N G O     S H A V E D     I C E 

I should admit right away, that food has never been a huge passion of mine to chase. While there are articles, videos, and photos all over the world wide web of just how great Taiwanese food is, (and it is!) I never desired to be the trailblazer of discovering the most unique, delicious or disturbing entrees out there. However, I have tried nearly everything that I have been presented with, minus shark fin soup and chicken feet, and I’ve enjoyed much of it. But let’s move on.

A popular late night snack, sausages.

Love me some noodles. 

Food comes in a variety here as well, yet different than what you might imagine. While you can easily find restaurants and shops of all internationalities, Taiwanese ‘traditional’ food is much simpler, with more than a few great specialties. The food here is simple in that is usually consists of a base of rice or noodles. This is often enjoyed with meat of some kind and an assortment of vegetables (often leek or cabbage). Here in Taiwan pig and chicken are most often ate, but duck, goat, and cow are also easy to find. Seafood, often squid, is also very popular among Taiwanese.

Squid at night market in Kenting. 

Side Bar: As I’ve come to learn many things- and not just about the inhumane slaughterhouses in the USA-, I try my best to eat as little meat as possible. You should (more than considerate it) too!

Bubble Milk Tea (not my own photo)

It’s also worth mentioning all the unique foods, desserts, and teas that you can get here. The most popular tea that came from Taiwan was 'boba' or bubble milk tea. This isn’t a drink fit for someone wanting a refreshing drink. Each slurp your mouth becomes full of marble sized tapioca balls that you can chew up. They don’t really have a flavor, nor have I found a purpose, but it’s a cute drink that’s grown very popular even outside of Taiwan. While I enjoy milk tea often, the tapioca pearls never grew on me. My favorite tea is honey green tea. Passion fruit and mango green tea are also spectacular. Some of my absolute favorite soups are MISO* soup, beef noodle soup, sweet red bean soup, and ginger soup.  Dumplings and Dim Sum are a must try. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors, fillings, and flavors, often in an assortment of each.

Sometimes we have to laugh. 

Beef Noodles

Dim Sum

This guy loved the dumplings. 

Taiwan's quick and easy. 

I’ve also always enjoyed the BBQ, especially over a long weekend and near the ocean. In Taichung, Joe John’s BBQ is my favorite. They serve meat on a stick wrapped in or around tomatoes, greens veggies, or some scrumptious enoki mushrooms.

Always a great time for a BBQ, even more so after a day in the ocean! ^^

Dive Buddy BBQs are the best.

Baby octopus or squid, not sure, but chewy. 

For breakfast, radish (lo bogaow) cakes are soft and delicious.
Add on your favorite meat or cheese to an egg pancake (danbing) for the classic favorite of many.

My first Hot Pot 2013

A trip to Taiwan wouldn’t be complete without trying Hot Pot. Hot Pot is just that, a pot of hot ‘soup’ placed over an individual fire just for you. Included on the side are self-serve-able vegetables and meat you place into the boiling pot. The meal usually comes with a bowl of rice, sauces, and a tea as well.

You can also order hot pot for two, like many spicy hot pot shops nearby, or for the entire table, which is exciting, but often one person is stuck keeping eyes on the continuation of food being cooked and served.

Restaurant called 'Modern Toilet' where everything reflects a bathroom and its utilities.  

Taiwanese families are always so excited to invite and share food with foreigners. 

Most meals are served and enjoyed 'family style with Taiwanese families and friends sitting around a large round table, often with a rotating 'lazy susan' in the middle. One person orders for the entire family, plates and bowls of dishes and soups are brought out as they are finished and everyone is encouraged to share and enjoy the food. For Westerners, this is a foreign concept in many ways (and admittedly took me some time to adjust to), but I’ll continue. 

Sharing a duck soup with work mates, the WHOLE duck! ^^

Family style meal with best Taiwanese friend Gina - Winter 2014

Having a meal in the mountains with an aboriginal tribe southeast Taiwan Feb 2014. 

Endless options in the night markets. 

Grab some to go.

There are other options for getting food in Taiwan, as the cost is so low, very few families keep refrigerators full of food here. More so, a run to the store is to pick up a few items for tonight’s meal. At the markets (fast food) or small 'mom and pop' shop meals will run you about $3 to $6 USD per meal. At an international family restaurant you’ll pay between $5 to $15 USD, and if you want a nice full set meal in a gorgeous restaurant on the top of a department store you’ll pay around $15- $40 USD per meal. The more Western restaurants, and ones that provide more of a service to larger parties, will add on 8-10% gratuity for the table’s bill, otherwise there is literally NO tipping at all!!

Din Tai Fong with Cousin Jessica and Nick - May 2018. (This was their favorite meal of their trip to Taiwan! ^^)

 While it still seems to blow minds, it works easily with a few well known standards. First, order and pay at the front counter before or after you have found your seat, that way when your meal is finished; You get up and leave whenever You wish! Second, water is usually dropped off at your table in a pitcher with cups or you can self-serve. The rest of your drinks will arrive with your meal, rarely ever before. Third, food arrives as it is ready, not when the entire table’s order is ready. While these last two may seem as an annoyance at first, you’d soon realize you don’t need three drinks in one sitting. And an early arrival of one’s entrée doesn’t mean they have to share, but it does provide for more of an appreciation, discussion, and excitement over the food arrived and arriving. Best case scenario, you get to try more than one dish, and relieve some pressure from the wait staff. (Having been a waitress in the states, I know the arrival of early drinks is only meant to sell more products, plain and simple.) Also think of the food that could be saved if we started sharing some dishes!

It'll be hard to enjoy sushi in the Midwest again. 

Another standard in place and understood is portion size or more simply put, not wasting food! In Taiwan you finish your meal, usually because it's delicious and the right amount, but also because leaving half eaten bowls or unfinished plates in not acceptable. It's not acceptable when you are 2, 22, 52 or 102. 

Even McDonald's costumers recycle.

Also the majority of Taiwanese take the extra minute to separate compost from recyclable material when disposing.  Throwing out half-eaten meals, even throwing food away with recyclable papers and plastics is not the usual option here. I hope one day, we, in the USA, rid ourselves of this careless behavior. 

In addition to recycling paper, glass, and plastic, Taiwan compost trucks. 

Peijo with some pengyous before making some BBQ together. 

Overall, the experience at restaurants, (even with the language gap!) is much friendlier and stress-free for servers and customers alike in Taiwan. Plus, food is incredibly fresh! You know in Taiwan that the food you are eating is some of the best in quality and locally grown. Daily, I am grateful for being blessed to live in a place that has provided me such healthy food to put into my body and sustain me. Not only for the taste and variety, but for my long term health!

Grocery stores on the weekend are highly active. 

Grocery stores are usually always within walking distance. Many times there are samples being given out and I've walked in a few times when bread had just been made. Less preservatives are used in the food here so fruits, veggies, and breads should be eaten within a week or two of buying them. Along with that, occasionally they run out of veggies and meats, but soon it's restocked, another way to tell of it's freshness.   

Before I wrap up, I must mention that some of my favorite meals in Taiwan were not necessarily Taiwanese food. They’ve come from family restaurants from all around the world; India, Pakistan, Turkey. While I fell in love with many dishes of Southeast Asia; Green Curry, Pad Thai, Pho, I couldn’t be more thankful to be introduced to Indian food.

Taro Balls

Dos & Donts:
Do lift bowls of rice, noodles, and small plates off the table to make eating with chopsticks easier. 
Don't point at things with your chopsticks. 
Do use the oppostie end of your chopsticks to put food on your plate from a shared dish on the table. 
Don't leave your chopsticks sticking up in rice or other food. 
Do fill the glasses of people around you. 
Don't drink until everyone has been served and others around you raise their glasses for a toast. 
Do say cheers or "Kampai" when making a toast. 
Don't finish what's in your glass if you don't want another one- someone will fill it up. 


To end on a good note, here is a photo of one of the adorable cakes so common to have here in Taiwan. Also a link to the 13 must try desserts of Taiwan. 

 -K