Introduction to Night Markets

Night markets play a vital role in the lives of Taiwanese. Night markets are one of the favorite attractions for both local and foreign people. According to the report from the Ministry of Transportation and Communication's Tourism Bureau in Taiwan, around 60% of visitors would like to visit night markets and experience the local culture. Instead of specializing on only one purpose, most night markets in Taiwan are multifunctional, providing customers with snacks, gadgets, clothes, accessories, and even a place to have fun. The atmosphere in night markets is always boisterous, with many noisy but passionate vendors promoting their products.

Night markets are served as a retreat for people after a day of exhausting work. In night markets, there are many kinds of local Taiwanese snacks which fill customers' stomachs and contents. The low prices of fashionable clothes or accessories are also attractive points of night markets. While purchasing things in night markets, it is common for customers to bargain prices with the vendor. Still, many people love to go to night markets to play games, like pin-ball, darts, doll-catching, basketball-shooting, and hoopla. Come and join where the crowd is at and enjoy the hilarious atmosphere of Taiwan night markets!

What to Eat in Night Markets

Boasting its hygiene, Taiwan night markets provide thousands kinds of clean and delicious food. If you want to sample delicacies in night markets, remember to choose the more prosperous ones. That way, you can get rid of diseases. Based on statistics, the top 10 local snacks are: oyster omelets, bubble tea, salt pepper chicken, soup dumplings, Taiwanese meatballs, braised pork rice, Taiwanese Tempura, pan-fried dumplings, Grilled Taiwanese sausages, and stinky tofu. Following are specific introduction to each famous local snack.

Top 10 Local Snacks

Oyster Omelet  蚵仔煎  Uh Ah Jian

Bubble Tea  珍珠奶茶  Zhen Zhu Nai Cha

Salt Pepper Chicken  鹹酥雞  Xian Su Ji

Soup Dumplings  小籠湯包  Xiao Long Tang Bao

Taiwanese Meatball  肉圓  Ba Wan

Braised Pork Rice  滷肉飯  Lu Rou Fan

Taiwanese Tempura  甜不辣  Tian Bu La

Pan-fried Dumplings  煎餃  Jian Jiao

Grilled Taiwanese Sausages  香腸  Xiang Chang

Stinky Dofu  臭豆腐  Chou Dou Fu 

EAT YOUR WORDS at night markets 

多少錢？ ---- How much?

Duo shao qian

菜單。---- Menu

Caidan

買單結帳 ---- Bill (Check)

Maidan/jiezhang

這是什麼？----- What is this?

Zhe shi shen me

我要一份。---- I want one order (of this).

Wo yao yi fen

謝謝。---- Thank You

Xie xie

要辣 / 不要辣。----I Want it spicy / I don' want it spicy

Yao la / bu yao la

Popular Night Market Snacks

Pearl Milk Tea (Bubble Tea)

Pearl milk tea (Bubble tea) is a popular drink for Taiwanese and foreigners, whether served iced or hot, the special taste and pure milk tea attract lots of people to become a fan of this drink. In the beginning, a famous Taichung tea shop found add some tapioca into their tea is a new taste, then become a popular Taiwan specialty, even runs oversea stores. Nowadays you can see cup tea shops everywhere, the best selling is still Pearl milk tea (Bubble tea).

Cuttlefish Thick Soup

Cuttlefish is a suitable ingredient for think soup, it tastes chewy and commonly to been seen at night markets. The cuttlefish would be sliced before going with the thick soup, usually match with sliced vegetables to add crispy taste. Some proprietor would fry sliced cuttlefish with pasty coating, some just poached them before cook. Taiwanese will have the soup with rice or noodles, add some black vinegar to have extra flavor.  Don't forget to taste Cuttlefish Thick Soup when visiting night markets!

Fried Chicken Fillet

Fried Chicken Fillet are made of chicken's breast, which is the most flesh part. The fillet will be dipped in sauce then coated with flour or pastry before fry. It is so popular because it's crispy and tender taste, fried chicken fillet is easy to take away, you can always see people have them in hand in night markets. Some proprietor invents various flavor of seasoning pepper, like dried laver, cheese, curry, even garlic and plum, to add exotic flavors.

Oyster Omelet

Oyster Omelets are small oysters mixed in starch and egg batter. Often times it is served with a special sauce. It is a traditional Chinese snack that is still popular today.

Taiwanese Meatball

Taiwanese Meatball are uniquely covered in a thick layer of starch that is flavored with a special type of sauce. The sauce differs at different regions of Taiwan. The starch is made into a round shape stuffed with meat, bamboo, mushrooms, and a variety of ingredients. When put together, the Taiwanese Meatball is a unique combination of chewy softness and a flavorful meat sensation.

Braised Pork Rice

Braised tiny pork pieces are spread over white, steamed rice and are sprinkled with braised meat sauce. Often accompanied with radishes and pickles, the tasty braised pork rice will keep you wanting seconds.

Stinky Tofu

Usually Deep fried, Stinky Tofu, as its name suggests, has a very strong smell. Although some people comment on the disturbing smell of Stinky Tofu, many Stinky Tofu lovers really enjoy its distinct flavor and odor.

Braised Snacks

Braised Snacks include a variety of items that are cooked in a braised sauce made with special herbal ingredients. Braised Snacks often include chicken wings, tofu, seaweed, pork blood cake etc. With a strong herbal scent, Braised Snacks have a special taste that is like none other.

Shaved Ice

Shaved ice is a delightful dessert especially in the hot summer weathers. The ice is machine-chopped into a crunchy texture and is served with a variety of flavors and fruits to choose from including: strawberry, mango, red bean and many, many more. There are also many mixed flavored shaved ice that are truly refreshing.

Oyster Thin Noodles

With a special type of thin noodles, the Oyster Thin Noodles are covered in a layer of starch to create a slippery texture. It is often cooked with oysters, meat, or pig intestines to create its exotic flavor.

Soup Dumpling

Soup dumpling one of the top delicacies in Taiwanese snacks. No travelers would like to miss this unforgettable taste in Taiwan. A proper soup dumpling should have the same number of folds at the top, the skins that hold the meat are very thin and very stretchy, about spoon sized and soup inside. As you carefully pick one up with your chopsticks, you could literally see the weight of the soup pressing the skin down, almost rip the thin skin apart. The perfectly balance of skin, soup and meat makes a flavorful explosion in just one bite.

Shao Mai

"Shao Mai," or common referred as "steamed dumpling" in English, is one of the loveliest of traditional Taiwanese snacks. Shao mai is steamed dumpling with open-topped, the filling visible at top and the wrapper pinched into pleats making up a shape of flower. There would be various kinds of meat to be chosen from Taiwan snacks. Each one is adorable and delicious.