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Taipei is a fantastic destination for those who enjoy food. The city offers a wide range of tasty street foods that reflect Taiwan’s rich culinary traditions. Street food in Taipei serves delicious crispy bites, flavourful soups, and cooling desserts. These ensure a memorable food experience. Taipei’s night markets are vibrant hubs where visitors can enjoy everything from savoury snacks to sweet treats. Exploring street food here is more about experiencing the lively market atmosphere and discovering hidden culinary gems.
Top 10 Street Food In Taipei
Here are the must – try dishes among the best street food in Taipei, featuring a culinary opportunity that satisfies every food enthusiast:
1. Lu Rou Fan (Braised Pork Rice)
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Lu Rou Fan is the most renowned Taiwanese dish because it consists of a braised pork belly. This is cooked with soy sauce, rice wine, and flavorful spices. Slow braising makes the pork incredibly tender, melting in your mouth when served with steamed white rice. Braised pork belly, served with pickled mustard greens and a boiled egg, balances savoury, sweet, and umami flavours. This inexpensive dish delivers customer satisfaction and appears in traditional Taiwanese restaurants and food stalls.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
2. Hu Jiao Bing (Pepper Bun)
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The commonly beloved Taiwanese street food Hu Jiao Bing presents a deep-fried meat that encases its peppery, savoury filling. The buns are made using an old-style clay oven. Inside, they are filled with a tasty mix of pork, pepper, and green onions. This traditional method of baking with a clay oven gives the buns a unique flavour and texture. The pork used in the filling is usually seasoned well, adding a delicious taste that blends perfectly with the pepper and fresh flavour of the green onions. Food stands prepare freshly made portions of minced pork buns with a touch of saucy flavour.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
3. Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Belly Bun)
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Known as the ‘Taiwanese hamburger,’ Gua Bao is a soft steamed bun filled with tender braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, crushed peanuts, and fresh coriander. The pork is cooked in a slow-cooked broth made up of soy sauce, sugar, and spices, creating melted butter. The dish is infused with pickled mustard greens, crushed peanuts and fresh coriander to give it a touch of flavour and texture. The meat filling is complemented by a slightly sweet and fluffy bun.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
4. Oyster Omelet
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The Oyster Omelet is a well-loved dish in Taiwan that features fresh oysters, eggs, sweet potato starch, and leafy greens. The omelette has crispy edges, and the inside is slightly chewy due to the sweet potato starch. Packed with fresh oysters, it is covered with a tangy sauce that enhances its flavour. Cooked on a flat griddle, this dish offers a unique taste and texture. Both locals and tourists enjoy this hearty meal because of its delicious combination of fresh seafood and savoury eggs. Many night market stalls make this omelette using high-quality, flavorful oysters.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
5. Stinky Tofu
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Taiwan’s Stinky Tofu is a street food that is both highly popular and controversial. This dish is known for its strong fermented aroma, which gives it a bold, complex flavour. Tofu is fried in deep-frying until it is golden brown, leaving it slightly crispy on the outside but soft inside. To balance out the intense flavours, visitors are often served it with a side of spicy dipping sauce and pickled cabbage. Many vendors offer both grilled and braised options, with distinct flavours added to each.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
6. Tianbula (Taiwanese Tempura)
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The Taiwanese version of tempura is Tianbula which features deep-fried fish paste cakes served in a delicious broth. These fish cakes differ from Japanese tempura because they maintain their chewiness which absorbs the rich tastes of the broth. Food vendors enhance Green Bean Tofu with drizzles of soy sauce and chilli paste. Night markets draw many customers because they can savour this inexpensive dish with pleasant flavours. The crispy texture combines well with the chewy parts of this snack delivering a pleasurable eating experience.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
7. Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang (Small Sausage In Big Sausage)
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A sticky rice sausage is used in place of the traditional hot dog buns in Da Chang Bao Xiao Chang. The outer layer of rice has a barely crisp texture which pairs wonderfully with the tender pork sausage inside. The vendors add garlic and pickled vegetables to their dishes and offer sweet or spicy sauce condiments for added taste. They offer three different options for topping their sticky sausage with wasabi, basil, or cheese. This food item wins overnight market visitors because of its appealing balance between savoury, sweet, and smoky flavours.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
8. Mango Shaved Ice
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During Taiwan’s summer season, Mango Shaved Ice remains one of the favoured cold desserts among locals. Served as a summer speciality, the dessert comprises fine ice bits together with fresh mango pieces and both condensed milk and mango ice cream toppings. The additional toppings at various vendor stalls include jelly and tapioca pearls and panna cotta. Difficult shavings of ice give off an impression of melting snow, but the taste is immediately irresistible. Those who enjoy sweet treats should give the mango dessert a shot, as it has ripe strawberries and milk cream on top.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
9. Scallion Pancake
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Taiwanese people enjoy Scallion Pancakes as a famous delicacy that offers crispy layers with an onion-infused taste. The simple mixture of ordinary ingredients, flour, water and scallions forms dough which turns into crispy golden brown layers. Additional vendors enhance the flavour by adding eggs together with cheese and ham. Topped with soy sauce or chilli sauce the pancake adds both a savoury and somewhat spicy flavour to the dish. The crunchy exterior of this dish complements the chewy and flavorful middle portion. This street food is easy to eat on the go, making it one of the most convenient and tasty street food in Taipei.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
10. Bubble Tea
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Taipei is home to bubble tea, a well-known global export from Taiwan. It is made from tea mixed with either milk or fruit flavours, topped with soft tapioca pearls. While the classic blend includes black tea, milk, and sugar, there are numerous options to choose from, such as matcha, taro, or brown sugar boba. A lot of vendors provide customisation options for ice levels, sweetness levels and various toppings like jelly or pudding. Tapioca pearls are a favourite among both locals and tourists due to their delicious flavours and velvety texture.
Popular Places To Try: Ximending, Gongguan Night Market
Food enthusiasts can find their paradise among street Food in Taipei because vendors present both classic flavours together with fascinating food textures. Taipei’s night markets offer an essential culinary experience, where every dish reflects Taiwan’s vibrant food culture. Explore the best of Taipei’s street food scene with TripXL! Plan your trip now and indulge in the city’s most delicious flavours. Book your adventure today!
Cover Photo: Dima Valkov / Pexels / Image For Representation Only
