How best to spend a culinary trip to Taipei

From the city’s night markets to its Michelin-starred restaurants, influences from China, Japan and beyond come together to create a cuisine that’s distinctly Taiwanese

A sleepy island perched on the far western edge of the Pacific, Taiwan has a rather unusual national identity. Its formally called the Republic of China, and while it regards itself as its own country, it’s not recognised as such by mainland China. And over the centuries, there’s been much debate about what it means to be Taiwanese. The island has experienced several waves of colonisation — by the Dutch, the Chinese and the Japanese — and prior to that it was inhabited by indigenous tribes of Malay-polynesian descent.

The fascinating side effect of this mixed cultural heritage is a dynamic food scene, which can be readily experienced in the capital city, Taipei. Here, Japanese-style tea houses sit between skyscrapers, and night markets snake around the perimeter of elaborate Chinese temples. The food of Taiwan is decidedly fusion. The Japanese brought bento boxes, rice balls and oden (dashi broth studded with fishcakes, boiled eggs and more) to the island, and the Chinese introduced soup dumplings and beef noodle soup. The Dutch are responsible for the presence of turkeys on the island, and the birds’ meat served shredded over rice has become a classic. Over time, however, many of these dishes have evolved so much they’re virtually unrecognisable from their original versions. Rice balls in Taiwan are fatter and more oblong, stuffed with minced pork and braised egg. Beef noodle soup is almost sweet, rather than the spicy Chinese recipe, due to the addition of cherry tomatoes and rock sugar.

Although there’s a long-running affinity for all things Japanese (sushi bars and Japanese hot pot can be found in nearly every neighbourhood), Taipei’s eating habits are constantly changing. Over the past decade, there’s been a boom in fine dining

— a movement spearheaded by young, local chefs who’ve trained abroad and returned home to make use of their new skills. They’re harnessing indigenous ingredients such as mountain peppercorn and red millet to create delicious dishes and, more profoundly, a cuisine that’s distinctly Taiwanese.

While it certainly embraces haute cuisine, the nation’s culinary culture still centres around family-owned establishments that have served the same dishes for generations, and street food markets that are always busy. These places reflect the true spirit of Taiwanese food — generous portions, flavoursome dishes and diners eating late into the night.