Hearing about Taipei's street food scene went way back to my mom's solo trip to Taiwan in the late 1960s. Although my mom was not adventurous when it came to food, she would later tell me when I started traveling that I had better try as much local food when I got the chance. Indeed, I did just that in Thailand, Vietnam, India, Hong Kong, and the rest of the countries I had visited thus far.
Food-tripping in Taipei’s Raohe Street Night Market | Taiwan
During my first visit to Taipei as part of a familiarization tour organized by EVA Air, my travel companions—who were also travel writers—and I decided that we had to explore the city's street food scene during our free time.
Because our media trip hosts had already spoiled us with an amazing gastronomical experience during our cross-country tour, aside from having a whirlwind daily itinerary, we only got to check out the small night market in Kaohsiung in the southern part of Taiwan during the first few days of our trip.
On our last night, though, when we finally got back to Taipei, we made plans to meet in our hotel’s lobby an hour after our dinner, so we could all grab a ride to Raohe Night Market.
During the day, Taipei appeared as a busy metropolis where hurried footsteps reverberated to signify an extended rush hour. Come nighttime, the city brimmed with life as if it had finally decided to just take it slow amidst the blinking neon lights and the humming markets set up in various districts.
One popular market was the Raohe Night Market. There, people—unmindful of time—slowly walked past food stalls in search of that savory scent (or in stinky tofu’s case, the most putrid aroma) or a fascinating dish that best typified the street food culture of Taipei.
Stinky Tofu: Love it or Hate it
While we assigned ourselves the mission of ordering the stinkiest tofu we could find, we settled for the not-so-foul-smelling one being sold at one of the stalls we passed by.
It was not as bad as I had expected it to be. The strong odor kind of just added a layer of kick to the sensation of eating it. It was juicier than the usual dry-fried tofu I was familiar with.
Taiwan's renowned love-it-or-hate-it delicacy was not the only star in Raohe, as a staggering number of street food dishes came in a variety of grilled, fried, steamed, skewered, sauced, and even torched options.
Through the course of our slow walk in Raohe, I managed to try out some local street food dishes and came up with these as my favorites: oyster omelets, flame-grilled beef cubes, grilled squid, octopus takoyaki, and bacon wraps.
While there were other more interesting choices, I had to resist since my stomach could not take any more food. Despite having a length of only six hundred meters, we reached the end of Raohe Market near midnight because of our many pit stops at random food stalls.
The Call of the Culinary Night
Among the many appealing facets of Taiwan—from the beauty-laden scenery of lush nature to the historic monuments, bustling cities, and thriving art scene—the country’s mouthwatering street food culture remained one of the biggest draws in enticing travelers to that vibrant destination. Who wouldn’t be tempted to explore the various night food markets located all over Taiwan? Walking over narrow streets lined with food stalls emitting savory scents became an adventure to remember.
I then understood that despite my mom’s trip to Taiwan happening many moons prior, the reminiscences of the street food culture were what she was most fond of remembering until today.
