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The Drifter Journals

Taiwanese Food in Four Courses: A Different Kind of Chinese Influenced Cuisine

1/15/2013

20 Comments

 
Shilin Night Market, Taiwan
Food Stall at a Taiwanese Nightmarket [SOURCE]
In order to truly understand a culture, you need to taste its food. A country's cuisine has always been an important part of cultural identity, and Taiwan is no exception. In this installment of ourFood in Four Courses series, we'll share with you three of the most beloved Taiwanese dishes, a starter, main course and dessert. And to keep things interesting, we'll add on a dish that's definitely not for the faint of heart.
The Chinese have had acultural influence in Hawai'i since the 1800's. The language that we speak at home, called Hawaiian Pidgin English (HCE), is heavily influenced by the grammar and vocabulary of Chinese dialects. The Chinese were one of the the first immigrant populations to intermarry and quickly assimilate with the Native Hawaiians, and many of us today can trace our genealogy back to at least one Chinese ancestor, if not more.
This cultural influence has also carried over into our modern Hawaiian cuisine, where many common dishes that are thought of in Hawai'i as being traditional and local, such as manapua, crispy gau gee mein, lup cheong sausage, steamed siu mai (pork hash), braised kau yuuk, shrimp canton and chicken or turkey jook, are all originally Chinese in origin. Even our snack addiction to li hing mui, or crack seed, something unique to Hawai'i alone, was brought over by the Chinese. 
Needless to say, when I moved to Taiwan, I prepared myself to be surrounded by the beauty and abundance of all the traditional Chinese dishes I'd grown up with in Hawai'i and called my own. I was disappointed at first.

75% of the Chinese who migrated to Hawaii originated from an area called Zhongshan in Guangdong, whereas the Taiwanese cuisine is mainly influenced by immigrants from the province of Fujian (Hokkien) as well as Hakka and Hoklo. 

This translates into a kind of Chinese cuisine that is vastly different from the Chinese food we grew up eating in Hawai'i.
"Even our snack addiction to li hing mui, or crack seed, something unique to Hawaii, was brought over by the Chinese."
Not to say that Taiwanese food isn't delicious, of course, it's just a different kind of Chinese inspired food from what we were used to eating. 

It was only a matter of time, though, before I found many tasty and unique Taiwanese dishes to enjoy. 

Here are just three that I've come to LOVE! And as usual, just for fun, I've also thrown in one dish that may take a little more time to get accustomed to. 

FIRST COURSE: 肉圓(RouYuan or “Meat Sphere") A Unique Blend of Sticky, Salty and Sweet!

Taiwanese Food in Four Courses 肉圓(RouYuan or “Meat Sphere
This dish is a good example of traditional Taiwanese snack food.

My first taste of rouyuan, also referred to in the Taiwanese language as ba-wan, was a mistake. A GREAT mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.

My friend had originally taken us to a specific night market to try out a famous dish that they specialized in there. The shop was closed, so he introduced us to rouyuan instead.

The salty, savory stuffing of pork or shrimp with bamboo shoots and mushrooms is stuffed into a semi-transluscent dough made out of corn starch, sweet potato starch and flour, then steamed or poached in oil.

The sticky, chewy dumpling is then served hot and smothered in a sweet and savory sauce, garnished with fresh Chinese parsley or sliced ginger!

There are many varieties of rouyuan, all of which share the same characteristics mentioned above. Many consider this treat to be the quintessential icon of Taiwanese street market food.

SECOND COURSE 滷/魯肉飯 (LuRouFan or "Braised Pork Rice")  Melt-in-Your-Mouth Pork Belly Perfection in a Bowl

Taiwanese Food in Four Courses 滷/魯肉飯 (LuRouFan or
Made out of pork belly, this is definitely not for those who like to eat 'light' or who have a fear of anything oily.
 
The northern variety makes use of minced meat, so it is less oily. The southern variation, however, uses a cut referred to here as 三成肉,san cheng rou, or 'three-layers of pork', the skin, fat and meat. The use of this cut leads to a dish that is tender and delicate yet greasy and fatty at the same time.

In preparation for cooking, a piece of pork belly is toothpicked from the skin through to the meat in order to prevent it from falling apart. This is then slowly braised in a brine of oil, shallots, mushrooms and soy sauce, until it is soft, tender, and falls apart at the touch. The delicately braised piece of pork is then served, minus the toothpick, over a pile of steaming white rice and with a side of pickled vegetables. I like to top mine off with a heaping spoonful of hot chili oil and chili sauce.

This has become, hands down, my personal favorite of all traditional Taiwanese dishes. I drive out of my way every week just to get a taste of this amazing, melt in your mouth dish.

THIRD COURSE: 芒果冰 (MangGuoBing or "Mango Ice") A Chillingly Ideal Choice to Cut Through the Summer Heat

Taiwanese Food in Four Courses Mango Ice 芒果冰
Living through thesummertime in Southern Taiwan can be a brutal exercise of balancing mental will against physical discomfort. Temperatures rise, sweat falls profusely and you find yourself lying motionless for hours on end, trying to conserve whatever tiny ounce of energy you may have left. This is where the chilly Taiwanese dessert made up of flakes of freshly shaved ice saves the day!

It's a simple dessert, really, very basic in its structure and form. It's a mound of shaved ice, packed tightly and served in a large bowl. Condensed milk and fruit syrup are then drizzled over the ice, and then it's topped off with a blend of your own choice, fresh fruit chunks, tapioca balls, ginger or almond flavored tofu pudding, adzuki or mung beans and any other sweet treat you can think of. Of course, as the name implies, I prefer the mango!

There is also a variation of ice referred to as 雪花, or xue hua, which means 'snowflake', and is softer, sweeter and milkier in texture compared to the typically crunchier shaved ice.

OPTIONAL: 臭豆腐 (ChouDouFu or "Stinky Tofu") True To It's Namesake...This Dish STINKS!

Picture
Lest you think Taiwanese cuisine is all in flavorful fun, let me introduce you to a rude awakening of the senses with a dish straightforwardly named choudoufu, or stinky tofu. It may look innocent, but do not be fooled, this dish can be deadly to the untrained nose!

There are many descriptive adjectives that Westerners use to describe their first scent of this malodorous dish. For me, it was the scent of pig offal that first came to mind. Yes, the fetid smell of a freshly butchered sow, sliced open at the belly, hot and steamy innards exposed and wafting into the air, is what hit me as I walked down the street at a crowded night market and smelled stinky tofu for the first time. I am not being sarcastic at all. I truly, honestly thought someone had just butchered a pig.

Of course, upon closer inspection, the dish itself is nothing more than chunks of fermented soy bean cake. But who knew how rancid those little bean cakes could get! Traditionally, the blocks of tofu are soaked, sometimes for months, in a brine of fermented milk, vegetables, meat, dried shrimp, and Chinese herbs, until they are pungent and rank. As they are prepared and served on the street, the distinct odor of these delicate treats waft through the air and repulse, or even entice, passersby.

There are several options in preparing this traditional and country-wide embraced Taiwanese dish, but whether it's boiled, deep fried, stewed or served in soup, stinky tofu is definitely an acquired taste. But soldier on my fellow drifters, there is hope! I am a living example of someone who has come to love the savory pungency of this traditional dish!

For authentic ideas on traditional recipes, check out these books:

 

Food in Four Courses is a regular series where we take you around the world to experience the joys of food from various cultures.

Our weekly newsletter gives you further insight into why I pick the Featured Articles of the week, so If you enjoyed this article on Taiwanese cuisine and would like to know more background info on it and other articles, please SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter!

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20 Comments
Maui Chelle
1/15/2013 02:10:40 pm

Yay for a tour of taiwanese cuisine...finally!!! Haha. ;) Enjoyed reading the difference between hawaiian-chinese fusion vs. taiwanese-chinese.

I'd seriously try all of the above mentioned courses, including the pork belly and infamous "stinky tofu", (maybe while wearing my dental mask? ha!) And wow that pic of mango ice looks refreshingly incredible!! Mango is my favorite fruit.

Ahhh, getting tortured by pictures! :) If i ever come to visit, you will have to show me the hot spots. Great article J!

Reply
JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/15/2013 02:26:10 pm

Haha, yes, finally! Well, as you can tell from my extra information in the newsletter, it was a rough relationship from the start. But Taiwanese cuisine and I have been working things out during my time, and we're definitely breaking some ground here!

And of course, if you ever come here, I'll have to introduce you to my friend Missy. She's the resident FOODIE here in Taiwan.

Reply
Chris
1/15/2013 04:34:30 pm

Great article!
I LOVE 臭豆腐 especially the fried one with pickled veg and 辣酱! wait a minute that's the one in your picture!
One of the interesting things about Taiwanese food is there are certain dishes that are only in certain areas of certain dishes. Did I ever get you one of my favourite snacks? (Other than 臭豆腐)

Reply
Chris
1/15/2013 10:40:41 pm

I meant to say there are certain dishes only available in certain areas of certain cities.
That makes more sense!
Great article, me like food ones!

Reply
JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/16/2013 01:03:07 am

Yeah, I had to read your comment twice, I figured it eventually, but thanks for the clarification! I don't think I know what your favorite snack is...give me a hint.

Reply
Chris
1/16/2013 02:35:15 am

Where I used to live there is a small place that does these little meat filled 饼 they bake them in this cylinder thing with a fire in the middle and they are all stuck to the inside wall. They were great. Always a queue for that place!

Reply
JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/17/2013 12:34:09 pm

Hmm...sounds great! I'll have to try that sometime. Maybe I'll ask Paris guys or someone who lives around there. They might know!

Reply
Kalei
1/16/2013 02:30:13 pm

Mmmm... the braised pork rice looks yummy! Mango ice, MAN I have to wait till summer for the season, but throwing 'em in the freezer after you cut it up sounds like a good close substitute.

Reply
JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/17/2013 12:37:37 pm

Yes, Kalei it is so good! But there's a reason why they serve it in small bowls, it's very rich! Great idea on making your own mango ice. I know we have our own shave ice in Hawaii, but I learned that our shave ice is closer to Japanese style, just the ice and sweet syrup. Here they add on choke more stuff! And we have to wait for summertime, too. There's no fresh mangoes in the winter. Now strawberries are in season, freshly grown in the mountains of Miaoli, Taiwan. After Mango ice, Strawberry ice with sweetened condensed cream is my second favorite!

Reply
khia
1/16/2013 05:54:40 pm

Yum yum loving being back and eating more mangguobing it's gotta be my fave, and I still can't believe you like choudoufu ick ick, after 5 times I my taste buds still can't get used to that one.

Reply
JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/17/2013 12:40:12 pm

Yeah, good to have you back, just like old times. (Well kind of, minus both of our "counterparts"...) Talk about choudoufu, you totally missed out on a rad time at the night market last night. The Hawaii girls loved all the food we tried, including the stinky tofu!

Reply
1 in about 8 million
1/17/2013 11:04:20 am

Nice article! The stinky tofu effect... I've never smelt dead pig, but I have whiffed the rankness of an un-hosed dairy saturated with cow urine on a hot summer afternoon, and I reckon it's about the same. For the adventurous, I will say, the tofu tastes better than it smells. While the putrid scent wafting out of the kitchen makes the paint peel off the walls and neighbours evacuate on an emergency holiday... in other circles, alarm is down-graded to a demure 'please pass the chili sauce'. See any similarity with the yellow fruit durian? blue-vein cheese?

Reply
JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/17/2013 12:44:17 pm

Great point! It must be something about livestock or farm animals. Haha. Either way, it's definitely not a pleasant smell for the first timer. What you say is true, a lot of people say it doesn't taste nearly as bad as it smells, and some even take to the taste of it right away! PS: Durian and blue-vein cheese...Mmmm! What is it about pungent flavors that really get the taste buds moving?!

Reply
Davisa
1/18/2013 10:31:22 am

Good read! I would love to try all the dishes...even the sticky tofu. By the way, is the taste anything like the smell?

Reply
JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/18/2013 12:54:16 pm

That's great, Davisa! Stinky tofu is one of those acquired tastes, but I know a couple of other "Westerners" who have grown to like the flavor, if not LOVE it! Funny you ask about the taste, we just took some of our friends out to a night market to try it out, and they commented that the taste is not nearly as bad as the smell! Actually, most people will say that.

Reply
ai
1/23/2013 06:13:09 pm

Whoooo!! You made me wanna go back to Taiwan to enjoy all the dishes above except 臭豆腐!!! I didn't know our teeth can 'smell" until I ate them.
I remembered when I went out with some local kids, they just run into the vendor to get the tofu for their snacks, while I was totally stunned and pinched my nose.
Or when I came home, I found my sweet Taiwanese roommate enjoyed eating the tofu with her happy smile...
I'm happy to know that you are already 'local' there!!

Reply
JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/24/2013 12:59:31 am

Hey, Ai! So when are you coming back for a visit? It seems like things are working out for you in Kiwiland, though. I'm surprised you didn't develop a taste for stinky tofu, I seriously find it irresistible now. Whenever I catch a whiff of it my mouth starts to water and I gotta get myself a plate! I know the Japanese have a fermented dish called natto...do you like that?

Reply
ai
1/24/2013 06:28:58 pm

Guess what where we went for a dinner after going to the observatory!! (Doesn't it sound like I'm still in Hilo?) Yes! Taiwaneese restaurant!!!!!! We stopped our Taiwaneese friend from eating her stinky tofu though... I don't eat natto that often either...
hmm maybe because I grew up with the smell of fermented stuff since my grandpa and dad used to sell dried fish乾物, I think I'm already tired of stinky food.lol
Kiwiland seems like Hawaii for now since we enjoy our summer here! How's weather in 高雄?

JR@TheDriftersBlog link
1/27/2013 05:09:34 am

Really? A Taiwanese restaurant? What did you eat?

Mmm...dried fish sounds so good right now! But I know what you mean, I couldn't eat fish and fruits for years after I'd grown up eating every day of my life. I've gotten my taste back for all of that now though, but, yeah, I don't blame you.

The weather in Kaohsiung is cool and wintery, as wintery as Southern Taiwan can get I guess!

Ron | Active Planet Travels link
11/4/2013 12:26:44 pm

Dude...thanks. Now I'm REALLY hungry! To have a bowl of the pork belly right now...man what I would do! The Mango Ice looks killer refreshing! Must be similar in taste to the sticky mango rice they have in some parts of Southeast Asia? Either way, delish! :-D

Reply



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    I'm JR. I come from a long line of adventurers, some were nomadic explorers of the sea and others wandering cultivators of the earth. Ultimately, this legacy of drifters has deeply affected my view of travel. Read more... 

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