To read the rest of the Taking on Taiwan series, click here.
If you’ve ever been to America, grew up, or lived in America at some point during your life, chances are you have been to a farmer’s market or two. You’ve walked along the street, glancing at all the fresh produce and baked goods, and tested a couple of items before you decided to purchase something, or maybe walk over to the corner store to pick up something different. Open air markets, from my experience, were not a plenty in Taiwan. Which is why upon coming to Taiwan, night markets were one of the most amazing spectacles I’d ever laid my eyes on.
One of the most popular nightlife activities in Taiwan isn’t clubs, bars, or those sorts of things, but instead night markets. Imagine all the various food choices of a farmer’s market, but at night, and complete with arcade games. It’s like a country fair mixed in with a farmer’s market. There’s plenty of fried food, games, and cheap priced goods to empty your wallets for. Places like Shilin in Taipei or Feng Chia in Taichung have their reputation for being the more famous of the bunch, while some small alleys house quaint little markets with their own hidden mysteries.
My family, for whatever reason, grew up with this fear of open air markets. We bought our food from the grocery store and avoided food that was sold outside and/or out in the open. I don’t know why, but I always had this fear of getting sick from food that was exposed to all that grossness that was beyond the four walls of my home. But, some of the best food I have ever eaten in Taiwan was purchased at morning or night markets.
Morning markets are the best for breads, fruits, and vegetables to stock up on. I much prefer night markets, where you can buy a papaya milk, walk around and munch on some stinky tofu (don’t knock it till you try it). It’s the perfect place to get some snacks, window shop, and catch up with old friends. Plus, it’s safer than going to the club and spending close to 1000 NTD (about $30 USD) to get into a place where the music is too loud and you yawn every couple of minutes. Maybe that’s just me, because I’m known as the grandma of my friend group. Either way, if you want to explore the culture of Taiwan, go to a night market.
If you ever come to Taiwan, might I make some recommendations? Do try the mango or papaya milk, or any fruit milk really. The blend it up with some fresh milk, toss in some sugar or none at all (depending on your request) and give it to you for a measly $1.50 USD. And you have to try the bubble milk tea. After all, Taiwan is where it was made famous, and it easily will fill you up for a couple of hours because of all the deliciousness of the tapioca.
For the adventurous foodie, there are special options, such as stinky tofu, a trip to Snake Alley in Taipei (yes, it’s real, and no I haven’t been), or some pig intestines (yes, really). They use just about every part of the animal here, and if you want to try the local delicacies, night markets have everything and more.
There’s no need to be shy of the food you find in the night market. Truthfully, the best dumplings I have found were in YiZhong night market, and the most delicious bubble tea I’ve ever tasted I bought in Feng Chia night market. If you want to do as the locals do, you must go where they go. And that means setting aside your fears and diving into the delicacies that make Taiwan famous.
Stay tuned for more coming soon! Until then, stay rad!
