By Emily Chan
Known for its bustling night markets and abundance of mopeds, Taiwan makes for a perfect vacation spot. As an island just off the coast of China, Taiwan is the birthplace of a large array of popular desserts and cute pop up stores. You may be familiar with boba and tanghulu, but what other treats does Taiwan have to offer?
Tsua Bing
Tsua Bing or Taiwanese shaved ice is definitely one of my favorite desserts I tried on my trip because of how many different toppings you could choose from. This is essentially fluffy shaved ice in a bowl topped with lots of jellies, fruit and a syrup of your choice. My personal favorite combination of toppings include red beans, tang yuan and boba. The cool,fluffy ice is the perfect match for any chewy and flavorful toppings you choose. So keep your eye out for Tsua Bing stands, especially in the humid and hot Taiwan weather!
Sweet Potato Balls
Found in one of the various night markets I went to, sweet potato balls are the ideal treat to walk around with. This is because they’re easy to eat and come with a fun poking stick to keep your hands mess-free. These sweet potato balls aren’t too sugary and are also great for sharing! I’d definitely recommend trying a few.
Taiwanese peanut ice cream roll
Now I might’ve said that the Tsua Bing was one of my favorite desserts, but after trying peanut ice cream rolls at the night market, my life was truly changed. And, in a way, the dessert itself is sort of a peculiar combination. First, a layer of peanut flavored ice is shredded onto a flour-based wrap. Then ice cream and a sprinkle of cilantro is added onto the middle right before being wrapped up into a little burrito for you to walk around with. Originally, I was confused about the addition of a particular green vegetable atop my ice cream, but upon trying it, I realized that cilantro on top of my ice cream was the key to all of life’s greatest problems. It brings out such a light and unique flavor that truly cannot be compared to anything else I tried.
Giant Yakults
An honorable mention is how much larger the Yakult drinks are in Taiwan. Yakult, a probiotic drink, is generally sold in a pack of small little bottles in the states. However, the Yakults are at least two times the size of ones sold within our local H Mart. It was quite the sad realization that once I came back to my Fountain Valley residence, I would be once again exiled to forever drinking my glue-stick-sized Yakult. If ransacking the Taiwanese 7/11’s to bring these enlarged Yakults back to the US was legal, you best believe I would.
Not only are there a variety of desserts to try, there are also many small shops that line the streets of Taiwan’s cities that are a treat in themselves to take a look at.
Located on YongKang Street, Cara is a small and compact shop that displays a large variety of cat themed apparel and accessories. I truly have never laid eyes on so many feline-themed items. From bags to shirts, each of them are embroidered with cute cats everywhere. On top of that, everything is made out of a soft cotton material. Furthermore, the owner was nothing but kind and even chose a few items for my sister to try on. That said, you’ll want to pay your visit soon, as Cara is set to close by the end of the year. But, with their sad departure from YongKang Street, they are offering great deals up to 75% off of their goods.
Another YongKang Street favorite of mine is 永康之心!, also referred to as a Japanese grocery store by Google Maps. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as this store has unique, character themed products rather than fresh produce. The little store is adorned with Miffy, Snoopy, and Sanrio merchandise that shines just as much as their price tag. So, while each item is quite the collectable and extremely cute, be prepared to pay a pretty penny for that 2-inch chef snoopy keychain.
Paradise
This store really lives up to its name, being that it’s a complete paradise for collectors of cute blind box figurines. I was initially drawn into the store upon the promise that there would be indecent babies to collect there (Sonny Angels), and I wasn’t let down. They didn’t have as many of them as I imagined, but I wasted no time buying a few of the winter series. Their walls are covered with glass cases displaying possible figurines you could find in each of their different blind box series, as well as other old collectable toys. I loved this shop so much that I even came back a second time to hunt for some more!
Conclusion
Throughout my trip, it was interesting to see how different the city life was in comparison to my day to day, suburban lifestyle. The city of Taipei is tightly condensed, making everything just a short walk away which is extremely convenient. On the topic of convenience, Taipei’s layout makes going to a convenience store such as 7/11 or Family Mart truly convenient. At the beginning of my trip, I was initially frightened about being an ABC (American born Chinese) and having to use my broken Chinese skills. Although the thought of going somewhere without prior knowledge of the language may bring you some fear, the city of Taipei is quite accepting of other languages. Unlike the states, the majority of the signs in Taipei have English and sometimes even Japanese translations. Moreover, some of the shop salespeople either know English or at the very least try to make an effort to communicate with you the best they can. Yes, it may be a bit embarrassing when they suddenly switch to English mid-stationary-purchasing, but it’s important to simply let it go, take the 15 pens and run. Overall, Taiwan is a very underrated vacation destination with lots to eat and see, so don’t pass this one off!
