TRAVEL FOCUS ON THE FOOD TRAIL IN TAIWAN
When you visit this tiny island in the South China Sea, be sure to go on an empty stomach
Y ou could visit Taiwan, a tiny island country in the South China Sea, for its almost implausible sights. Not to mention its interesting accommodations, plush tea arenas and craggy coastlines with swaggering turquoise waters. However, in this small nation bursting with diversity, it’s best to arrive on an empty stomach, because, as far as I’m concerned, Taiwan is all about the food.
OH OYSTERS, WALK WITH US
Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, is a scrumptious city to live in. Seriously. Its major sport is arguing over which night market has the best o ster omelett . Though I’m just a visitor, my vote would go to the one in Shilin, where the omelette is a bit chewy thanks to the addition of tapioca starch, and decadent thanks to being soaked in a dense sweet chilli sauce. To go with my omelette, I bite into a Taiwanese sausa e – not your regular forcemeat, but cured, a bit dry and slightly sweet. Then I stroll about the market, sipping bubble tea, a milky, sweet drink laden with gummy tapioca pearls, the size of marbles. Among the stalls selling grilled squid, pan fried buns, and fried fish cakes, I find one dishing out
beef noodle sou , almost a staple in this country. A perfect bowl consists of a flavourful broth which could be spicy red or light and fragrant, fork-tender meat and chewy noodles. I choose the light broth and am so blown away that I can’t even find adjectives to describe the sensation.
We are still discussing the delights of the night market when the bus stops at Leader Village Taroko, our hotel for the night. It is a small tribal village with separate