MADE IN TAIWAN
Irecently spent a week in Taiwan with a group of journalists from Southeast Asia. It wasn’t a food focused trip, but food inevitably came up in many discussions over shared meals. I had a few extra days there staying with friends and made it my mission to try as much of the street food as possible, in between great shopping, visiting galleries and temples, and some excellent specialty coffee.
There are many small alleyways off the main roads in Taipei that become bustling markets at breakfast time. Tofu and cabbage rolls, steamed buns of all kinds, dan bing — a crepe filled with egg, and various rice rolls containing pickled vegetables. I’d wander the streets and try a few different things each morning, and with my very limited Mandarin, ordering was sometimes just a matter of pointing and smiling and hoping for the best.
Many street vendors have small stalls with some of the best food you can get — gua bao steamed buns with braised pork, pickled vegetables, and crushed peanuts was one of the best things I’ve eaten in a while, and so cheap.
I found an amazing stall selling hot, crisp, flaky spring onion pancakes one morning and they were a revelation. A simple dough rolled up and cooked on a hot plate, I thought that would be the thing I’d try and create at home. They don’t ever taste the same as eating them standing on the side of the road on a humid day with the sights and sounds of a morning market, but I’ve given it a good go.
They’re a great snack or starter. The cucumber salad is a great side dish for any Chinese food feast — it’s especially good as a side with dumplings. Smashing the cucumber (rather than slicing) I was taught helps soak up more flavour. Enjoy.
For more about Delaney’s trip to Taiwan, check out her blog at delaneymes.com