[Review] Taste of Home – The Food of Taiwan

Whenever people ask me for recommendations of what to do in Taiwan, “eat” is always my answers. It is true for other Taiwanese too, especially ones that live abroad. Taiwan might seem just like an island on the world map, but it’s an island full of gourmet food, mainly street foods (we have more than just bubble tea).

I have received the cookbook written by Cathy Erway, The Food of Taiwan, from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to review back in March. This cookbook really interested me, because there isn’t any English cookbook out there that is about Taiwanese food. However, since school had kept me really busy, I didn’t have the time to test the recipes till summer vacations.

[Review] Sips and Steeps – Tea Ave

Who doesn’t like tea? I’m a heavy tea drinker, and sometimes I prefer tea over coffee. I can’t live without tea for more than two days! It has become my daily essential. Moreover, tea culture is an important part of the culture in Taiwan, especially a variety of green teas.

I was so happy to receive some samples from Tea Ave, which is an online tea shop based in Vancouver (BC, Canada), specializing in oolong sourced from Taiwan. The founders, Jeff and Heidi, are brother and sister who put their professional skills together to promote/spread the love for oolong tea. (Don’t you think working with siblings are just one of the best things that could ever happen?)

[TW] Taiwan’s “mega dumpling” – Ba Wan (肉圓)

As I’ve mentioned in the Xiao Zhan Du Sticky Rice Pudding‘s post, small eats are big things in Taiwan. Ba Wan is one of the Taiwanese foods that we can’t live without. It is no doubt my top 5 Taiwanese food.

Ba Wan

Ba Wan can be found everywhere, from small booth on the street to food stall in the traditional market. The taste of it varies too. Just like every family knows how to make fried rice, but they all taste differently. The “skin” or the outer layer of Ba Wan is made with rice flour, corn starch, and sweet potato starch, and stuffed with pork and bamboo shoots. The sauce is poured on top upon serving.

[TW] Xiao Zhan Du Sticky Rice Pudding (小暫渡米糕)

This is another top must-visit place as soon as I come back. This is one of the small eats (小吃) in Taiwan. Small eats play an important role in Taiwanese’s eating. I’ve heard of a philosophy describing Taiwanese food, which is “eat often and eat well”. Basically all these gourmet snacking can be found any time of the day, and not limited to weekdays or weekends.

Sticky Rice Pudding (米糕)