When Taipei applied for UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy status, plenty of Taiwanese were left scratching their heads.
Yes, Taipei is the most famous destination here, but many of the dishes it put forward have their roots in the country's oldest city, Tainan. This is where meals are cooked in makeshift kitchens, and cheap eats, especially seafood, are king.
The catch is tracking down the best flavors in a city where public transport doesn't reach everywhere and many older locals speak only Taiwanese.
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That's where this list of 19 dishes for travelers comes in:
Danzai Noodles
This dish is as central to Tainan's food culture as Bruce Lee is to Chinese kung fu. It brings together oily noodles with minced pork and fresh shrimp in a shallow broth.
The name translates as "noodles on a shoulder pole." The dish was invented in 1895 by Hong Yutou, a fisherman who sold it from buckets slung on a bamboo pole.
Hong's legacy lives on in two shops founded by his family. Of these, Du Xiao Yue has grown into one of the country's most popular restaurant chains. Meanwhile, Hung Yutou Danzai Noodles is often called the more authentic local favorite.
Du Xiao Yue, No. 101, Zhongzheng Road, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6220 0858
Hung Yutou Danzai Noodles, 12, Lane 508, Chong De Road, East District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 8 0023 4001
Shrimp Rolls
This is Taiwan's answer to Japanese tempura, except the shrimp are wrapped in caul fat and stuffed with aromatic herbs like green onion, then deep-fried. The most famous version of this dish comes from a shop called Chou's Shrimp Rolls, founded in 1965.
Chou's Shrimp Rolls (Original Shop), No. 125, Anping Road, Anping District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6229 2618
Savory Rice Pudding, or Wa Gui
Wa gui is the local term for a savory rice pudding that's served and cooked in a bowl, mixed with duck egg yolk, shiitake, pork and shrimp. The pudding is made from rice milk and seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil, giving it a light brown tint.
Fu Sheng Hao has held the city's wa gui crown for three decades now. Each bowl sells for roughly one US dollar.
Fu Sheng Hao Ricecake, No. 8, Ximen Road, Section 2, Lane 333, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6227 4101
Tofu Pudding
Taiwanese tofu pudding (or douhua) is a take on the soft, silky soy blend found all across Asia. Here it's topped with a sweet syrup, usually made with brown sugar, red beans, green beans, taro, and in summer, shaved ice.
Anping Bean Jelly's douhua is considered a landmark in its own right. Another vendor, Xuan Biandan Douhua, started out as a shaved ice shop before switching to douhua.
Anping Bean Jelly, 433 Anbei Road, Anping District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6 391 5057
Xiuan Biandan Douhua, No. 157, Ximen Road, Guohua Street Section 3, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6226 1069
Taiwanese Meatball, or Ba Wan
Ba wan is a glutinous, translucent pearl, most beloved for its "Q" texture (the Chinese term for al dente or chewy). This mega-dumpling is a pocket of pork, shiitake and bamboo shoots, coated in a sweet, sticky sauce. Some vendors like to add a sprig of cilantro for color.
The 40-year-old Martial God Rouyuan, near the state-run God of War Temple, makes a fantastic version that draws long lines of hungry visitors.
Martial God Rouyuan, No. 225, Yongfu Road Section 2, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6222 9142
Milkfish
Milkfish is a popular ingredient in Tainan. So popular, in fact, that in the Anping district it has its own museum, which sells products like milkfish popsicles. Walking a fine line between salty and sweet, it isn't as fishy as it sounds.
Chih-kan Peddler's Noodle serves boneless pan-fried milkfish with a squeeze of citrus, along with a milkfish ball soup.
Chih-kan Peddler's Noodle, No. 700, Minzu Road, Section 2, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6220 5336
Milkfish Palace, No. 88, Guangzhou Road, Anping District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6293 1097
Squid Thick Soup
Thick soup is a common side dish in Tainan, where it's sweeter than the versions found elsewhere on the island. Although it's available everywhere, specialists are few and far between.
Fushui Huazhi Geng serves squid coated in a paste of ground milkfish and flour, which is then boiled in a sweet, glutinous soup and seasoned with a pinch of cilantro and thinly sliced bamboo.
Fushui Huazhi Geng, No. 216, Minzu Road Section 2, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6229 2975
Braised Pork on Rice
Few things are as comforting and satisfying as fatty cubes of pork, braised for hours and served over rice with a pinch of cilantro. At Fu Tai, the incredibly tender pork belly melts in your mouth.
Fu Tai, No. 240, Minzu Road, Section 2, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6228 6833
White Bubble Milk Tea
Bubble, or boba, milk tea was invented in Taiwan, though its exact birthplace is hotly disputed. Some say it originated at the Chun Shui Tang teahouse in Taichung, central Taiwan; others insist it came from Tainan.
Tainan's contender is the Hanlin Tea Room, founded in 1986 by tea expert Tu Tsong-he. Tu originally used white tapioca, which explains why bubble milk tea is often called pearl tea.
Hanlin Tea Room, No. 313, Minzu Road Section 2, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6221 2357
Oyster Omelet
The oyster omelet was born in times of scarcity, hence its inherent simplicity. Most of it is made up of sweet potato starch, oysters, egg and lettuce. Bean sprouts are added for extra crunch, and it's topped with a beautiful, sweet red sauce.
The owners of Old Fort Oyster Omelet, founded in 1958, claim their ancestors were the first to serve the famous delicacy.
Old Fort Oyster Omelet, No. 85, Xiaozhong Road, Anping District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6228 5358
Coffin Bread
Invented in the 1940s, coffin bread is Taiwan's answer to the Western bread bowl.
The dish is a slice of remarkably thick toast that cradles a pool of seafood chowder with pork, mushrooms, peas and carrots. It got its name because it resembles a coffin.
Anping Guiji's coffin bread is known for its incredibly crisp crust. For solo diners, they offer a mini version designed to be eaten in a single bite.
Anping Guiji local cuisine cultural restaurant, No. 93, Yanping Road, Anping District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6222 9794
Lu Mian (Braised Noodles)
Lu mian (braised noodles) is a slightly salty noodle soup, cooked in a thick broth with cornstarch, fragments of wood ear, egg whites and pork.
Ah Mei, at the end of the Eastern Market, is a lu mian specialist, making an excellent broth that can be paired with either oily noodles or vermicelli.
Ah Mei Noodles, No. 88, Minquan Road, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6226 9102
Pig Trotters on Rice
They may not look appetizing, but pig trotters are surprisingly tender. When braised in a fragrant soy and herb sauce, they pair beautifully with a good serving of white rice. At Yi Deng Pin, the trotters come with braised tofu, egg and a generous helping of young bamboo shoots.
Yi Deng Pin, No. 372-1, Anping Road, Anping District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6350 4128
Eel Noodles
Although eel noodles can be found all over the island, they're especially popular in the south. Most vendors use farm-raised eels.
They're cooked and fried separately so they have a crispy outer layer, then seasoned with black vinegar and soy sauce before being added to a tangle of oily noodles in a wood ear mushroom broth.
Eastern Castle Noodles, No. 235, Ximen Road, Section 1, East District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6209 1235
Turkey Rice
Shredded turkey over rice has never tasted this good. The bird is remarkably flavorful and tender, the result of many hours of work. The rice is soaked with turkey fat and juices.
The vendor Roubo Huoji Roufan, which translates as "Butcher Uncle's Turkey Rice," has been around for 70 years and sells individual bowls for less than a dollar.
Roubo Huoji Rou Fan, No. 12-2, Gongyuan Road, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6228 3359
Duck Soup Pot
The Ah Mei restaurant is known all over the city for its classic Tainan dishes, including its signature duck soup pot. Chinese cabbage is cooked until it dissolves completely into a broth of pork bones, garlic and roasted dried halibut. The duck is first boiled, then marinated, then slow-cooked in the broth for three hours over charcoal as the other ingredients are added.
The restaurant has been around for 50 years, and seats are hard to come by.
Ah Mei, No. 138, Minquan Road, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6222 2848
Eight Treasures Shaved Ice/Soup
Shaved ice, or baobing, is a trendy Taiwanese dessert that has recently taken on a life of its own.
There are hundreds of versions, but one vendor in Tainan keeps things traditional, dressing it with "eight treasures," including glutinous rice balls, green and red beans, and peanuts. In winter it's especially good as a soup, served in a hot, sweet broth.
Shi Jing Jiu, No. 246, Minzu Road, Section 2, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6223 2266
Spanish Mackerel
Spanish mackerel is a prized fish in Tainan, and you can buy it already filleted at any of the city's day markets. The fish is at its peak from late summer to early fall. The most common and best way to enjoy Spanish mackerel is pan-fried with a wedge of lemon.
Fu Tai, No. 240, Minzu Road, Section 2, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6228 6833
Zongzi
Zongzi is a tetrahedron-shaped pocket of glutinous rice wrapped in a bamboo leaf.
It's a Taiwanese staple during the annual summer Dragon Boat Festivals and also a common breakfast, but in the Tainan area they say it has a better texture. The ideal texture of steamed glutinous rice should be delicate, chewy and moist. Meat rice dumplings (rou zong) and vegetable rice dumplings (cai zong) are equally filling.
They're best served with sweet soy sauce and a dusting of ground peanut powder.
Yuan Huan Ding Cai Zong Rou Zong, No. 40, Fuqian Road, West Central District, Tainan, Taiwan; +886 6222 0752
