During Dragon Boat Festival holiday this year, Beijing and Taiwan join hands to launch a major event. From May 27th to June 2nd, the Beijing Livat will transform into a Taiwanese night market. At that time, more than a hundred authentic Taiwanese delicacies will join forces with local specialty agricultural products from Beijing to create a cross-strait feast for the taste buds.

Ding Bian Suo

Ancient Chinese cauldron side rice cake is a famous snack in Keelung, Taiwan. The word "suo" in its name means "to crawl" in Minnan dialect. When making it, rice is ground into rice slurry and rolled down along the side of a large cauldron. The white slurry formed by the smooth rolling is the ancient Chinese cauldron side rice cake.

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This snack was originally a home-cooked delicacy in Fuzhou, later introduced to Taiwan and became a representative specialty of Keelung, with the Xing family being the most famous for making it. The snack contains meat broth, shrimp broth, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, squid, small dried fish, bamboo shoots, and napa cabbage, making it rich in content and a standard soup with many good ingredients.

Egg Waffle Ice Cream

Crispy egg waffle shell paired with soft ice cream, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet but not greasy, melts in your mouth, with a triple sensation in your mouth. Strawberry, mango, chocolate... various flavors for you to choose from, there is always one that can captivate your taste buds! In the night market stalls, egg waffle ice cream is always the most popular presence!

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The origin of egg waffle ice cream can be traced back to the 1950s in Hong Kong. At that time, a businessman surnamed Leung accidentally discovered a new method of making pastries: pouring egg mixture into a special mold and baking it, and because the finished product resembled a small chicken, it was named "egg waffle." Over time, night market vendors in Taiwan tried to combine egg waffles with ice cream, creating this unique food combination.

Sha Cha Squid

Sha Cha Squid is a home-cooked dish with squid as the main ingredient. Its key seasoning, Sha Cha sauce, originates from the Chaoshan region and is popular in Fujian, Guangdong, and other areas. It is a mixed seasoning with a light brown color, a paste-like texture, and a complex aroma of garlic, onions, and peanuts, combined with the umami taste of dried shrimp and soy sauce, with a slight sweet and spicy flavor.

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In the Minnan, Chaoshan, and Taiwan regions, Sha Cha is also known as Sha Dia. Braising squid with Sha Cha sauce results in a delicious dish with rich sauce, easy preparation, making it a quick and suitable dish for working individuals.

Jiayi Wheel Cake

The outer crust of the cake is baked until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. When you take a bite, the filling is full and juicy. Enjoy it while it's hot, the rich taste is unforgettable. Each bite of the wheel cake emits a rich aroma of the filling, with a dense and delicate texture, sweet but not greasy, bringing an ultimate taste enjoyment.

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Taiwanese wheel cake is a kind of cake made mainly from red beans, shaped like a wheel, hence called "wheel cake". Wheel cakes have a history of over 50 years in Taiwan, mostly made by electric heating.

E A Jian

E A Jian (Oyster omelette), also known as oyster omelet or oyster pancake, is a classic snack in regions such as Southern Fujian, Taiwan, and Chaoshan. It is made by wrapping oysters, pork, shiitake mushrooms, and other ingredients in a batter made from sweet potato starch mixed with water, then pan-frying it into a pancake-like dish.

Oyster omelette, as the name suggests, is a delicacy made using the "pan-frying" cooking method. The cooking tool used for pan-frying oyster omelette is an iron plate with charcoal underneath. To make it, oil is first heated on the iron plate, then oysters and beaten eggs are added to the hot oil for frying. The plump oysters dance in the oil, and once partially cooked, fresh lettuce and a sweet potato starch slurry for thickening are poured into the hot oil to cook together with the oysters. When the oyster omelette turns slightly golden, it is flipped and fried on the other side. Once it turns golden brown, a special sauce is drizzled on top, and a delicious oyster omelette is ready.

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There is an interesting story about its origin. According to folklore, in 1661, when the Dutch army occupied Tainan, Zheng Chenggong led his troops through Lukangmen to recapture lost territory. The Zheng army defeated the Dutch decisively, and in anger, the Dutch hid all the rice supplies. Facing a shortage of food, the Zheng army ingeniously used local ingredients such as oysters and sweet potato starch mixed with water to make pancakes, which unexpectedly became popular in Taiwan and passed down through generations as a beloved snack.

Many Taiwanese snacks were actually invented by ancestors in times of hardship when they couldn't eat their fill, serving as alternative food sources and symbols of impoverished life. E A Jian is said to be a creative dish invented in such a poor social environment.

E A Jian is rich in nutrients. Oysters are rich in zinc, making them an excellent source of zinc; they also contain significant amounts of calcium and phosphorus, which can help prevent osteoporosis. Eggs contain protein, fatty acids, vitamin B2, and choline, which can promote brain health and cognitive function.

Pingdong Coconut Milk

Pingdong is known as the "Coconut Kingdom" of Taiwan. The coconut water here is clear like water, sweet and delicious, crystal clear, refreshing, and can help reduce heat, detoxify, and lower blood pressure. Fresh coconut water can be enjoyed all year round in the local area.

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Coconut milk is made from coconut water and processed mature coconut meat. It has the effects of cooling, quenching thirst, and nourishing. Coconut milk also has the benefits of strengthening the heart, diuretic, deworming, antiemetic, and antidiarrheal effects. Coconut milk is rich in nutrients and is a good product for health and beauty.

Taiwan Stinky Tofu

Taiwan stinky tofu originated from the mainland, and later through continuous improvement, gradually formed today's Taiwan stinky tofu. Its surface is crispy with many holes inside, truly stinky on the outside and inside, different from the stinky tofu in northern mainland China. Stinky tofu in northern mainland China smells bad, but tastes similar to unfermented soft tofu inside.

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Taiwan stinky tofu should be served with special pickled vegetables. The pickled vegetables are made from pickled Chinese cabbage, crispy and sweet and sour to eat. The sauce is also different from the mainland, the sauce for Taiwan stinky tofu is poured separately, with garlic juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili sauce, etc.

Shilin Sausage

One of the most famous snacks at Taipei's Shilin Night Market, it can even be said to be a specialty of Shilin. It uses high-quality pork hind leg meat, adds exclusive seasonings, and is charcoal-grilled to perfection, ensuring a fragrant and chewy texture.

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Shilin Sausage is a unique specialty snack of Shilin Night Market, and can only be found there, making it one of the culinary landmarks of the night market. The first store to create it, Sheng Ji Shilin Sausage, has a history of 38 years.

Dachang Bao Xiaochang

Sticky rice sausage and sausage are usually first charcoal-grilled. After cutting open the sticky rice sausage, soy sauce paste and other sauces will be applied to enhance the flavor.

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The Taiwanese delicacy "Dachang Bao Xiaochang" emerged in the 1990s. Some night markets in Taiwan also offer a deluxe version of this dish, which includes various ingredients such as garlic, peanut powder, pickled vegetables, in addition to sausage, to create a richer flavor and texture.

Jiufen Taro Balls

Taro has a natural sweetness and smooth texture. When paired with various coarse grain rice balls, and served with red bean soup or grass jelly, the experience of chewing slowly allows one to even feel the grains of the rice balls. The overall texture is soft and elastic, with a delicate mouthfeel. The taro balls are thick and satisfying, without compromising the overall elasticity.

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Jiufen Taro Balls originate from Jiufen in Ruifang, New Taipei, Taiwan. It is a dessert made primarily with taro balls. This traditional dessert made from taro is a handmade delicacy without any additives.

Ganoderma

Ganoderma, a medicinal fungus native to Taiwan, China, has various effects such as treating liver diseases, anti-tumor, antiviral, anti-allergic, lowering blood lipids, and lowering blood sugar. It has high research and development value in the pharmaceutical industry, food industry, and even the cosmetics industry. It is known as the "king of herbs" and the "ruby in the forest."

Ganoderma is a fungus of the Polyporales order and the Ganoderma genus. It is annual, stalkless, woody to corky, tightly attached to the surface of wood, brown to black-brown in color, with inconspicuous wrinkles, glossy, and with a flat and blunt edge. The flesh of the fungus is in two layers, with the upper layer being wood-colored and the lower layer ivory-colored. When young, it is deep red, gradually changing to milky white, light brown, or light yellow-brown. The fruiting body ranges from orange-yellow to orange-brown, often with a radially rolled edge, expanding and growing in a semicircular or irregular shape.

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Ganoderma is distributed in the Taiwan region of China, growing on the inner wall surface of hollow camphor trees or on the damp surface of dead tree trunks. It grows extremely slowly, with a variable appearance such as plate-shaped, bell-shaped, horseshoe-shaped, or tower-shaped. The production period is from May to August when there is a large temperature difference between day and night; growth almost stops when the temperature is low, especially in winter.

Octopus Balls

Octopus balls, also known as takoyaki, are known for their crispy skin, tender meat, delicious taste, and affordable price.

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The octopus balls in Taiwan are made using unique local methods and recipes. They have a golden color, crispy outer skin, soft inside, and are fragrant during preparation. The octopus balls made are smooth, full, shiny, without cracks, and do not collapse even after being left for a long time. They can be eaten with diced onions, shredded cabbage, salad dressing, takoyaki sauce, bonito flakes, and shredded seaweed.

Wax Gourd Drink

Wax gourd drink has the effect of diuresis and reducing swelling. Wax gourd is rich in vitamin C, high in potassium content and low in sodium content, suitable for patients with high blood pressure, kidney disease, edema, etc. Consuming it can achieve the effect of reducing swelling without harming the body's vital energy.

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The malic acid contained in wax gourd can effectively inhibit the conversion of sugars into fats. In addition, winter melon itself does not contain fat and is low in calories, which is important for preventing weight gain. It can also help maintain a beautiful body shape, clear heat, and relieve summer heat. Wax gourd has a cold nature, sweet taste, clears heat and generates fluids, dispels summer heat and relieves annoyance, making it particularly suitable for consumption in summer.

Taiwan Twister Potato Tower

Twister potato, also known as twister potato tower, is made by freshly frying potatoes, with a texture completely different from regular fries. It uses whole potatoes as raw materials, cut into a spiral shape by a special machine, threaded onto bamboo skewers and stretched out to a length of up to 30 centimeters, presenting a slender tower-like shape. After being seasoned with secret spices, it is deep-fried to a crispy and delicious taste, loved by young people.

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In local night markets in Taiwan, each store can sell over 500 skewers every day. Consumers find it hard not to be attracted by its appearance and taste, as its unique shape is one of a kind.

Taiwan Salt and Pepper Chicken

Taiwan Salt and Pepper Chicken is a food that is deep-fried at high temperatures. After customers order the food, they hand it over to the owner to be fried in the oil. It has a rich aroma and a crispy texture, attracting many foodies and is one of the few snack types that can survive without being in a night market.

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Many salt and pepper chicken stalls will add basil before frying to enhance the fragrance, and sprinkle with pepper salt after frying. Chili powder can also be added as needed, mixed well and packed in paper bags. Some stalls will mix in minced garlic or add pickled vegetables.

Taiyaki

The main ingredients include low-gluten flour, milk, eggs, sugar, and baking powder. The batter is poured into special molds and baked. Red bean paste or matcha can be added in the middle, with a crispy outer layer and a soft, chewy inner layer.

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Nowadays, people are no longer satisfied with just filling red bean paste into the belly of taiyaki. They also add various sweet flavors such as cream, chocolate, and ice cream to delight those with a sweet tooth. Taiyaki symbolizes auspiciousness and prosperity, and eating taiyaki is often seen as a way to convey blessings.