This day, we traveled by MRT to visit my great aunt. We met around lunch so she took us to eat first.
cold sides:
top: tofu ; This tofu dish is firm tofu sliced and seasoned with spices, chilies, and dried anchoveys. I love this style of dried anchovey as they are a little bit sweet. 7/10
bottom left: pig ear ; One of my favorites. This is cooked pig ear that is sliced and marinated in a savory spiced marinade. It is a chewy and crunchy. 8/10
bottom right: eggplant ; Eggplant in Taiwan is skinny and long. These have been cooked and sliced then marinated in a sweet sauce. 7/10
left: dumplings ; These are boiled dumplings with a chive and pork filling. 7/10
right: fermented cabbage hot pot ; Taiwanese fermented cabbage is different from other fermented cabbages. This dish uses it as part of the base soup. Along that were shrimp, fish balls, pork meatball, scallops, tofu and tofu skin. On the side, it came with thinly sliced pork slices and vermicelli noodles to self cook. 8/10
We also ordered spring onion (scallion) pancake. One of the best ones I’ve had. It had a good about of spring onion and was nicely crisp. 7.5/10
After we headed to my great aunt house where we had some coffee and snacks.
This is a savory chip type of snack. It has a similar texture to a Cheeto but no cheese flavor. The seasoning is more of a general savory seasoning, with a hint of sweetness. Addictive. 7/10
We then headed out to walk around the river and watch a water display. These seem to be relatively common in Taiwan as I remember seeing these last time I visited. The footbridge we were near to was also nicely lit.
Next to the river is a row of restaurants.
The next street over is also full of street food stalls where I bought a papaya milkshake. 6.5/10
These type of drinks and smoothies are very popular. Fresh fruit is blended with some ice and milk to create this type of smoothie.
After we headed to a MRT station to catch a metro home, and yet again, there are many stalls selling food and snacks. One of the stalls we stopped at was selling a bunch of dried goods.
Above on the left is some dried seaweed that is super thin. This is usually broken apart and put into soup. The middle type is similar but thicker. The right one is seasoned a little and can be eaten right away, usually with rice. Often, these street stall vendors will tell you different prices to try to make a deal with you. Unless it is a food stall with set prices that are visible, it is acceptable to ask for a cheaper price if you’re wanting to buy multiple things.
Another stall we bought from was selling all types of cookies. He let us try some and the flavor brought me back.
The ones we bought are slighty sweet but not overly. The bag on the right is the ones we bought. The ones that are skinnier and thinly cooked cookies that are then rolled up. The bigger ones are similar but thicker and with a touch of seaweed.
The peanuts on the right were bought at one of the street stalls near the river.
On the way back we also stopped at a supermarket and picked up some more snacks.
dried fish strips, spicy flavor ; These strips are formed from sheets of cooked, compressed and dried fish. 7/10
soda crackers ; more of a plain savory cracker with a slight spring onion flavor. This particular brand is the one my mother has had since her childhood. Compared to one of the newer more fancier packaged ones, these are less oily and salty. 8/10
almond slivers with anchovies ; This is what it is. Slivered almonds with dried and seasoned anchovies. It can be eated on its own as is, or paired with rice 7.5/10
dry noodles ; This is very similar to eating seasoned instant noodles, but the noodles are thinner and not long strands which means when crunched, it falls apart quite easily. Crunchy and delicious! 7/10
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