Taïwan

Niurou mian

Braised beef shank and noodles in a soy-and-spice broth, the island's defining bowl.

Lu rou fan

Rice under slow-braised minced pork belly, the cheapest and most common meal.

Xiaolongbao

Thin-skinned soup dumplings folded in eighteen pleats, perfected here for export.

Stinky tofu

Tofu fermented in brine then fried, served with pickled cabbage at night markets.

Gua bao

A steamed bun folded around braised pork belly, pickled mustard and peanut powder.

Oyster omelette

Small oysters fried in a starchy egg batter and covered in sweet red sauce.

Danzai mian

A small bowl of noodles with minced pork and a shrimp, from Tainan.

Sanbei ji

Chicken cooked down in equal sesame oil, rice wine and soy with whole basil.

Ba wan

A translucent chewy dumpling filled with pork and bamboo, steamed then fried.

Cong you bing

Layered scallion pancake griddled until it flakes apart in the hand.

Oa mi sua

Thin noodles in a thick broth with oysters or intestine, eaten with a spoon.

Yan su ji

Popcorn chicken fried with basil and dusted in pepper salt at the night market.

Tie dan

Eggs braised and air-dried repeatedly until small, dark and chewy, from Tamsui.

Zhenzhu naicha

Milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls, invented in Taichung in the 1980s.

Feng li su

Buttery shortcrust around dense pineapple jam, the standard gift to take home.

Tai yang bing

Flaky Taichung pastry filled with malt syrup, best eaten with unsweetened tea.

Baobing

Shaved ice with mango and condensed milk, or with beans and jellies.

Danbing

A thin egg crêpe rolled around cheese or bacon, breakfast in every neighbourhood.

Gaoliang

Sorghum spirit from Kinmen, drunk at over fifty percent and toasted in one.

Dong ding

Rolled high-mountain oolong, floral and buttery, brewed many times in a small pot.