It’s the 5th day of #Project14Lists, and today, I’m switching things up a bit. š±Ā Most of you know that I love booksĀ (hence the book blog), but one of my other loves is foooood! If you didn’t know, I’m Taiwanese American, and I love introducing my friends to the amazing foods Taiwan has to offer. š“Ā I’m definitely not an expert on Taiwanese cuisine, and my taste is pretty basic. However, being with my family this holiday season is making me really appreciate our culture, and I wanted to share some favorites with you all!
1. Bubble Tea
Let’s start with something easyābubble tea, orĀ bÅbĆ (ę³¢éø)! Boba is a sweet refreshing drink, and itĀ can be made with or without milk (because you know that many Asians are lactose intolerant). The little black balls are chewy tapioca balls, but if you’re not a fan of them, boba can also come with other toppings like pudding, aloe jelly, or fruit! I recently tried cheese boba which is a tea base with a layer of cream cheese on top. It may sound gross, but it actually tastes like cheesecake! š°
2. Braised Pork Rice
Braised pork rice, or ę»·čé„ (pronounced: lĒ rĆ²u fĆ n), is a delicious savory comfort meal. In the old days, eating meat was often a luxury, so families would cook a small piece of pork and braise it into a savory meat sauce so that it could feed the whole family. The delicious meat would then be served over some steamed, fluffy rice with some vegetables for everyone to enjoy! š
3. Taiwanese Breakfast
Taiwanese breakfast can consist of a variety of different foods from egg crepes to rice burritos. My personal favorite is fried dough wrapped in baked flatbread, or ēé¤ ę²¹ę¢ (pronounced: shÄo bĒng yĆ³utiĆ”o)Ā dipped in savory soymilk, orĀ č±ę¼æ (pronounced: dĆ²u jiÄng). This definitely isn’t an everyday type of meal because as you can probably tell, it’s not exactly the healthiest meal, but it is insanely delicious. š
4. Popcorn Chicken
Every culture has their own take on fried chicken, and Taiwanese fried chicken, or ēøé (pronounced: zhĆ” jÄ«), is a popular street food, especially at local night markets. Bite-sized pieces of chicken are coated and fried with flour and seasoning mixture. Its flavored with salt and pepper,Ā chili powder,Ā and lightly friedĀ basilĀ leaves.Ā š
5. Snow Ice
What’s a more perfect way to end a hearty meal than with some refreshing snow ice, or åØå° (pronounced: bĆ o bÄ«ng)? It’s very similar to Korean patbingsu. Milk or cream is frozen and shaved to create a lush, creamy base. In Taiwan, shaved snow is often topped with a variety of toppings like fruit, taro balls, red beans, mochi, or condensed milk. In the U.S., flavors and toppings have expanded to include treats like Fruity Pebbles and chocolate chips!Ā š§
6. Stinky TofuĀ 
Stinky tofu, or čč±č (pronounced: chĆ²u dĆ²u fu), is a well-known street food that has a pungent order but delicious flavor. The tofu is fermented in a brine of milk, vegetables, and meat. Stinky tofu can be eaten cold, steamed, stewed, or, most commonly, deep-fried, and it is often accompanied byĀ chiliĀ sauce or soy sauce. Again, I promise…it tastes way better than it smells!Ā š„¢
7. Soup Dumplings 
Soup dumplings, orĀ å°ē± å (pronounced: xiĒo lĆ³ng bÄo),Ā originated from the Jiangnan region of China and are more specifically associated with Shanghai and Wuxi.Ā It’s also an extremely popular dish in Taiwan because of a restaurant calledĀ Din Tai Fung. Soup dumplings are like your typical dumplings but next level because when you bite into them you feel all cozy and warm inside from the soup.Ā š„
8. Oyster Omelet
Oyster omelets, or čµä»ē (pronounced: Ć“ Ć” chian), are another popular Taiwanese street food. TheĀ omeletĀ consists of a filling primarily composed of smallĀ oysters. Potato starchĀ is mixed into the egg batter, giving the resulting egg wrap a thicker consistency. It’s very different from a traditional Western omelet, but it’s just as yummy. If you like oysters or seafood, this is the dish for you!Ā šš³
9. Pineapple Cake
Next up is the pastry that my mom always loves to buy at bakeries and share with our friends! Pineapple cake, or é³³ę¢Øé „ (pronounced: fĆØng lĆ sÅ«), is a buttery pastry filled with pineapple jam. It might sound like a simple dessert, but it’s always fun to share with family. š
10. Beef Noodle Soup 
Like fried chicken, many cultures have their own version of a noodle soup comfort dish. In Vietnam, there’s pho, and in Japan, there’s ramen and udon. In Taiwan, there’s beef noodle soup, or ēčéŗµ (pronounced: niĆŗ rĆ²u miĆ n). Every year,Ā TaipeiĀ holds an annual Beef Noodle Festival, where various chefs and restaurants compete for the title of the “best beef noodles in Taiwan.” It’s delicious, filling, and will warm you right up!Ā š®š
#Project14Lists is a project Shealea fromĀ That Bookshelf BitchĀ started, with a goal to write and post a bookish list every day from December 18th to December 31st. Participating bloggers are tasked to come up with creative list ideas, and on each day until December 31st, write a list and post it on their respective blogs. Check out who else has accepted this blogging challengeĀ here.
If youāre interested in joining the fun as well as entering an exclusive giveaway for participating bloggers,Ā read this!
Ā Have you tried any of these dishes? What was your favorite? LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS!Ā š
Read By Tiffany 
OMG I LOVE ALL OF THESE (except stinky tofu because it literally smells like a sewer) ALSO BOBA IS MY LIFE im so hungry now ā¤ ā¤
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AGHHH YES!!! And my heart is breaking that you don’t love stinky tofu, but also it’s totally understandable because it STANKS šI think I’m able to withstand it because my family would eat it growing up, so it’s associated with fond memories. I HOPE YOU GET TO FULFILL YOUR BOBA CRAVING ā¤
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I love youtiao though I’ve never seen it being eaten in flatbread before! I usually dip it in Milo or sneakily dip it into someone else’s cup of coffee. Not sure if anyone does that as well HAHA
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Ahh that sounds a little weird but also kinda good š You should definitely try it with the shao bing!! It makes it next level š
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I love this list with my whole heart!! Anything about Asian food deserves love ā¤ I don't think I've tried anything on your list besides bubble tea (which, as an Asian, I am of course in love with), except for maybe braised pork (but I may know it as a different name in Thai haha!). But snow ice looks so delicious, and the way you described beef noodle soup reminds me of some Thai noodle dishes — I truly hope I get to try those foods one day! ā¤
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AWW ā¤ Yay!! It makes me so happy when people love food that I introduce them too š I hope you get a chance to try them and eat til your heart's content š I feel so bad that I didn't know you were Thai!! š I LOVE Thai food, but most of the Thai food I've eaten so far are the basic curries, pad thai, and pad see ew…but it's all SO FREAKING DELICIOUS :O I'm craving it now that I'm thinking about it! If you ever had Thai food recs, please send them my way š
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Aw, no, it’s all right! And oh yess I’m so glad you’ve had some Thai food before! Pad see ew is one of my favorites ā¤ And oh I definitely have a lot of Thai food recs but I wouldn't want to bombard you šš
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NOOO You wouldn’t be bombarding at all!! This foodie is always looking for recommendations ššš
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this post made me so hungry, ahhh! I love boba and soup dumplings (not really together haha) and basically everything else on this list so much!
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Ahh yes my secret master plan to make readers hungry has worked!! š I’m so glad you found foods you loved on this list!!
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ALL OF THESE LOOK SO GOOD. It sucks being vegetarian because then I have to go and find veg versions of all of these. Haha. (But also now I want to make lists of my fave North Indian dishes, and then my fave South Indian dishes and ooh, my fave Thai dishes lmao. I love food. So much.)
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Ahhh it’s ok!! I’m pescetarian (not the same thing I know, but I can’t eat a lot of the meat dishes) so it’s a struggle! The good thing is that all the desserts are vegetarian ā¤ You should definitely try the Taiwanese breakfast if you ever get a chance because it's one of my guilty pleasure foods that I can eat happily knowing there's no meat!
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Okay so I’m really, really, really hungry right now thank you very much haha. I would LOVE to try popcorn chicken, pineapple cake and snow ice, these sound SO GOOD!!
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Haha sorry not sorry!! š I’mso happy that I was able to make you crave some of these foods š They’re definitely worth the try! I especially think you’ll enjoy snow ice. It’s like fluffy ice cream ā¤
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It all looks so delicious! The only thing I’ve tried before is the pineapple cake (which was fantastic). š
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Aww I’m so glad you liked pineapple cake!! I hope you get a chance to try these other foods sometime ā¤
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Omg I love this post so much Tiffany!! As a Chinese American, I highly approve of this list of delicious foods, hehe. šš I especially love boba (it’s literally my life), xiaolongbao, and beef noodle soup!! Great post š
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Aww!! I’m so happy you love this post ā¤ Asians just have so many yummy delicious foods š Boba is honestly AMAZING I'm craving it righ now!! and Xiaolongbao and beef noodle soups are always hit the spot on cold days!
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Tiffany!! Literally just ate my dinner by the time I’m commenting on your list for today, but my belly’s rumbling again! I love a good xialongbao (especially from Din Tai Fung) and I miss the warm feeling after sipping the hot soup. š I didn’t know how lucky we were to have a lot of the food on this list available here in the Philippines. I swear, after Christmas, I’m definitely getting myself some boba and beef noodle soup.
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YESSS Din Tai Fung xiaolongbaos UGH I’m craving them right now!! I was getting so hungry writing this post šš I’m so happy that you have a lot of these foods available in the Philippines!! Definitely send me some of your own food recommendations so I can try ā¤
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Counting the days when we can eat at Din Tai Fung again aghhh. My personal favorite Filipino dish is caldereta (usually beef stew but can be any type of meat really) but there’s also adobo (actually a way of preserving meat but it’s so tasty), and halo-halo (literally a mix of desserts in a cup). Honestly there’s a whole lot more but they are all amazing. š
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I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY HALO HALO!! I am making it my personal mission in 2019 š
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My mouth is watering from all of these foods! Now I’m craving for Beef Noodle Soup and Braised Pork. ā¤ I've tasted Beef Noodle Soup before and it's delicious. Perfect for rainy season. I love Bubble Tea, I always request for extra tapioca balls (we call it here "sago" or pearls) I want to try Taiwanese breakfast. I haven't tried that before. Love your post, Tiffany!
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Definitely agree that noodle soup is perfect for rainy season!! It’s so nice to have something warm when it’s all cold and wet outside ā¤ I hope you get to try Taiwanese breakfast sometime!! It's definitely one of my all time favorites š Thanks Beatrice!
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CHEESE BOBA IS MY REASON FOR LIVING
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YESSSS!!! I thought it was so weird when I first heard of it, but now that I’ve tried it…MY LIFE IS CHANGED ā¤
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And especially when it’s got rock salt sprinkled on top….. YES GAWD
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omggggggg. so many people i knew went to taiwan this holiday and i’m so jealous. i’m salivating at all these foods. i went taiwan a few years back and am dying to go back. i miss the chicken cutlet and mee sua there.
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AWW I’m so jealous too ā¤ I haven't been back to Taiwan in a long time, and I'm craving these foods so much after writing this post! The chicken cutlets are soooo good. AND they're as big as your face š
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Oh, yumm!
I’d defo try most of these! Maybe not the oyster thingie cuz i don’t like oysters.
I tried boba the first time this summer, and loved it. Only had the fruity one cuz i’m also lactose intolerant.
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Definitely understandable!! A lot of my friends don’t like seafood either, so they eat around the oyster š I’m so glad you loved boba!!
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This post was so lovely to read! I would totally try out all of what the breakfast has to offer.
I’m not super fond of oyster but if they’re little, I would totally try those out. But all the rest too. Maybe not the tofu.
In Italy we have few places that say to do good bubble tea but I never tried those out. They’re all in places far away from my usual zones
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Yes!! You should definitely try the breakfast if you ever have a chance āŗļø Itās absolutely delicious!! If you ever get a chance to try boba too, you shouldāitāll be a nice experience too ā¤ļø
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Now i’m Hungry…this is such a good list i have tried bubble tea in Scotland i loved it!! But we don’t have it here in Nigeria. or at least i have not seen it yet. That’s it i’m packing my bags to Taiwan.
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Aww Iām so happy you loved the post!! I would love to try Nigerian food someday too ā¤ļø
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My little Asian heart loves this list so much! I have eaten all of these except stinky tofu! I canāt bring myself to get past the smell! Lol. Since I work at a boba restaurant, I have boba tea at least 3-4 times a week. š ITāS SO ADDICTIVE MY GOODNESS! Haha
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OMG SO LUCKY!! You have instant access to all the boba! Have you tried all the different flavors then? š I definitely agree that stinky tofu is pretty weird, but I think because I grew up eating it, I associate it with some great memories so now itās okay for me to eat š
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There are SO MANY drinks there, and I tend to gravitate the most towards Green Teas, so there are a ton of milk teas and slushes that I haven’t tried yet! Lol!
Oh, I can totally relate with how eating that is kind of nostalgic! There are a lot of weird food that I associate with great memories from when I was young, so I’m really used to eating those! Haha. š
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Aaah this list made me so hungry! š My favorites on this list would have to be the å°ē± å and the Chinese donut in the picture you had for the Chinese Breakfast section. There are a lot of similar foods I can see in your list with traditional Hong Kong Cantonese foods (I’m half-Cantonese š), and in Hong Kong we have this HK-style French toast that is absolutely delicious! Have you ever tried it? Anyways, great list!
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OOOO Hong Kong has some of the BEST foods!!! especially dim sum ā¤ I think I know what type of toast you're talking about! I like to watch a couple HK Youtubers like Emi Wong š Now, I'm hungry thinking about all the good food~
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Aaah yes dim sum! š Every time I travel to HK I gain a few pounds because everywhere I turn there’s delicious foods. That was the same for when I traveled to Taiwan, too š Thanks for making me crave Chinese foods again!
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Very beautifully written! Chicken popcorn looks so yummy
Happy Holidays š
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Thanks!
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these all look so good (i’ve heard bad things about stinky tofu though hahaha xD) the only thing i’ve tried here is boba. that pineapple cake looks soooo good and i love dumplings!
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OOOO I hope you get a chance to try them then!! They’re super delicious (and don’t worry I completely understand about the stinky tofu stuff but it’s not too bad after you try it…hopefully š)
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Now youāre making me hungry!
Not too sure about the oyster and the pineapple one.. but yum for the rest!! (Specially for that beef noodle soup…)
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OOO I hope you get to try it some time because it’s definitely worth it ā¤ especially during these colder winter days š
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Loved this post! Never knew bubble tea was of Taiwanese origin! All the food sounds super yummy! Had read about Taiwan in the lonely planet magazine and wanted to visit the place. This makes me wanna go there even more!
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Aww I hope you get a chance to visit there sometime!! It’s defintiely such a fun experience š The food is amazing (and super cheap)! Plus, there’s so many fun things to do on the island ā¤
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Now your just making me hungry for niu rou mian.
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Haha that’s good to hear! I hope you get to eat it sometime soon š
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Everything here sounds good and now I really want to try them all especially bubble tea. Wonderful post!
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Yes!! You’ll love them, especially bubble tea š„°
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