OMG... almost all is unknown for me!

Cuisine Food & Drink
1

Hi!!
I am a new international student in Taipei City. I have been living here for almost 3 weeks now, but I have decide to learn how to cook so it won’t be so expensive. I just have a problem… almost all ingredients are unknown for me!! and the worst part, I don’t eat Pork and can’t speak Chinese… I would like to know if some one can help me…Maybe you know a blog who talks about the food I can find in the supermarket, some easy recipes, or maybe you can give me some advice. I would appreciate it so much!!
Thank you all!!

Hope you are enjoying Taiwan as much as I do :slight_smile:
Kisses

2

Cooking for less than 4 people will probably end up being more expensive and you’ll either be wasting a lot of food or eating a lot of leftovers… maybe both. Try to find a local 自助餐(Zhi4 Zhu4 Can1) They can have up to 30 or so dishes and you get charged by how much you take. It’s cheap but more importantly, you get variety!

3

Agree. Either go to the 自助餐 (buffet meals) or little restaurants/eateries. This is going to be WAY cheaper than cooking for yourself.

If you’re at a restaurant and don’t know what things are, just do what the tourists do: look around at the other customers, and point at something that looks nice :slight_smile:

I suggest you learn the characters for basic/common meals or food items. Use google translate! That way, you can take a good guess at an unknown menu. Bear in mind that a lot of Chinese food uses pork in some way. Pork is 豬肉. Beef, chicken and duck are 牛肉, 雞肉, 鴨肉 respectively. If you see the word ‘肉’ by itself (as in 肉包 or 滷肉飯), it will be pork. Your best bet might be to try the vegetarian places: the word 素 (or 素食) means vegetarian.

4

I live alone and I cook 80% of my meals. I just cook enough for 4 meals and freeze or refrigerate the rest. It sometimes ends up a little bit more expensive than eating out on the markets can be (I average around $200 per cooking…so $50 per meal). Also it’s healthier and I can control what goes in or what doesn’t go in.

I cook mainly skinless, boneless chicken breast because it’s funnily enough the cheapest cut of meat here. I don’t really cook Taiwanese but more of a fusion of every kind of cooking that I know (so a lot of stir fry…or chinese noodles with an italian sauce…).

I can’t read Chinese and speak below conversational and I don’t even remember the last time I cooked pork…

I’ll often make like a wannabe risotto with the Taiwanese rice (I find it sticky enough to work) and add a ton of veges and a couple of chicken breasts and I’m good for 4-5 days. I have no real issue eating the same thing everyday so it’s good for me.

I’m in a real sesame sauce love affair at the moment so I’ll often stir fry up some udon noodles, bok choy, and sesame sauce. I have all my veges cut up and ready to go in the fridge so cooking for one night that way is very easy.

Also, you’ll struggle to get through a lot of produce before it expires, freeze it. I’ve frozen precut celery, herbs, garlic, onions. It is a life saver, saves so much time.

The first ingredients I bought when I got here was: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame paste, sesame oil, corn flour, honey, salt, pepper, chilli oil, grapeseed oil, dried black bean, paprika, dried pasta/noodles. You can buy them all without reading chinese.

Don’t bother finding a recipe you like and then sourcing ingredients, you’ll get frustrated when you can’t find it. Go to the supermarket and check out what looks familiar. I bought some awesome (and familiar looking) red curry paste at CitySuper in Sogo, and then went home and googled how to cook with it.

5

Shop in traditional markets. They mostly speak Taiwanese, anyways, but you will get fresher ingredients in the amounts you need.

Welcome and Carrefour have English labels on their stuff. PX Mart doesn’t, but it is the cheapest.

You need a rice cooker, a Tatung rice cooker, the Panzer tank of rice cookers. Not for rice, but for stews, soups, pasta, even bread. It is magical. And economical. Lasts a lifetime. I have the same one I bought when I arrived… last century…

For single dwelling, as said, it will be more expensive to cook for yourself. However, we understand the need at the beginning, while you get used to the local food and most importantly, the pricing. Where are you from? So we can suggest appropriate ingredients. If Latino, I’ll point you to Filipino stores. What do you have currently to cook with? Full size fridge or hotel mini bar? Electric range or gas burners?

Self cooking is best for breakfast. I invest in good cereal, organic milk. But I work here. Yet, fruits of the season are plentiful and reasonably priced.

If necessary and if you have storage space, team up with someone to go to Costco. You’ll get like whole grain pasta and sauce, add some meat or a can of tuna and you’re set. More economical.

In the meantime, if you are studying in Shida, go to Jamaica café and have the fried chicken steak with rice and veggies and soup. If at Zhengta, the self serve place next to the main gate is OK.

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[quote=“Icon”]Shop in traditional markets. They mostly speak Taiwanese, anyways, but you will get fresher ingredients in the amounts you need.
[/quote]

I didn’t even think of this! Of course! And now that I’ve been here long enough I could totally brave the traditional markets.

I think cooking has been a good coping mechanism for me too, like when you want a quiet night with comfort food it’s great. I live in Nankan though in Taoyuan where there are few Western restaurants and very few english speakers and english menus. But cooking myself has actually meant I’ve lost weight here. But that could be location too, because let’s be fair, if I lived close to a night market…I could go fried chicken cutlet crazy.

Agree on the cereal front, I have an awesome granola from Costco that I have with equally awesome yoghurt. And too bad you missed the pineapple season. Seriously…that pineapple…INCREDIBLE. I’m excited to see what winter has in store!

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The most humble people here are often the most helpful. You can get along in a traditional market by pointing and nodding and grunting.

I used to survive on Costco fare. Mac and cheese with tuna, chicken salads, grilled cheese sandwiches. Lots of pasta.

Winter/autumn we have pomelos, nectarines and peaches, then switch to oranges and mandarin.

8

Thank you so much to everybody!!!

I have already take note of all your advices, and now I have ready my list of food items written in Chinese characters!! Now I will be able to point and say no pork hehe. I will try to find those buffets!

Staceycolleena, Thank you!!! I didn’t thought about it, but cook one day and freeze it seems to be a good idea!! And yeah, I will try not to keep looking to recipes… it is kinda frustrating… I don’t know how to use some of the items you bought when arrived, but will try to learn. How do you use grapeseed oil and dried black beans? oh do you have a simple recipe you can share with me for dried noodles? I saw some pre-cook, but don’t know what kind of things use with them. Thank you!! :smiley:

Icon, thank you so so much!! I think I will be able to find the rice cooker in Carrefour. It is quite far away, but seems to be a good idea, how can I use the rice cooker to do all those things?! rice cookers seems to be a really good deal then! In the dorm we have a big fridge and gas stove, it would be super awesome if you could help me with those advices Yeah, I am from Mexico, do you know where can I find a Filipino store near Xinyi district? Do you think Costco membership is a good idea for me?

About the breakfast I just bought yoghurt, and a can of Oatmeal. Do you know if cereal, pasta and tuna is cheaper in Costco?

Thank you all!! You are the best!!
Kisses

9

Thank you so much to everybody!!!

I have already take note of all your advices, and now I have ready my list of food items written in Chinese characters!! Now I will be able to point and say no pork hehe. I will try to find those buffets!

Staceycolleena, Thank you!!! I didn’t thought about it, but cook one day and freeze it seems to be a good idea!! And yeah, I will try not to keep looking to recipes… it is kinda frustrating… I don’t know how to use some of the items you bought when arrived, but will try to learn. How do you use grapeseed oil and dried black beans? oh do you have a simple recipe you can share with me for dried noodles? I saw some pre-cook, but don’t know what kind of things use with them. Thank you!! :smiley:

Icon, thank you so so much!! I think I will be able to find the rice cooker in Carrefour. It is quite far away, but seems to be a good idea, how can I use the rice cooker to do all those things?! rice cookers seems to be a really good deal then! In the dorm we have a big fridge and gas stove, it would be super awesome if you could help me with those advices Yeah, I am from Mexico, do you know where can I find a Filipino store near Xinyi district? Do you think Costco membership is a good idea for me?

About the breakfast I just bought yoghurt, and a can of Oatmeal. Do you know if cereal, pasta and tuna is cheaper in Costco?

Thank you all!! You are the best!!
Kisses

10

I use Grapeseed oil just like I would Canola Oil. I don’t really use Olive oil much now as I have a wok and it can get pretty high heat.

Uh, I’ll cook up some noodles in boiling water until they’re not totally soft (maybe a bit hard) and then chuck them in the wok with some vegetables. I’m still experimenting a lot with sauces, I’ll cook up some vegetables in the wok with some chicken or vegetable stock (only take, a tablespoon or two…I use this instead of oil) with some pepper, garlic, onion, and a tiny bit of salt (and tiny bit of sugar to keep my veges green). Then I’ll chuck my noodles in and keep adding saucy stuff until it’s tasty…or omit the noodles altogether and you have an awesome stir fry. Google stir fry recipes…you should get some more solid sauce recipes (also it’ll give you proper instructions)

I really like the precooked noodles too, because you can get the Taiwanese Hakka noodles and udon noodles are awesome and cheap, Hakka noodles (I think) are knife cut noodles and they’re pretty great. I’ll again boil them til they’re soft and either mix through a bit of sesame sauce and oyster sauce, or chuck them in a stir fry. I don’t have a rice cooker and for some reason I find it really difficult to cook rice without one. But when I do master stove top rice I’m gonna be in egg fried rice heaven.

If you’re cooking meat, marinade it and cook it first in the wok (then take it out), then all the tasty remnants will mix with your veges.

I haven’t actually used the black beans yet but I’m thinking some beef and broccoli on rice concoction. I’ll soak the black beans (maybe a teaspoon) in a little bit of water and use oyster sauce, hoison sauce, soy sauce (or some combination of that lot), garlic and pepper. I always google ingredients so I know what they look like, so google chinese black beans if you’re unsure.

Cereal is cheaper in Costco and there is more selection. But pasta and tuna isn’t really. Obviously it is cheaper but when you’re looking at huge quantities it’s hard to justify buying a lot of stuff when you’re cooking alone. Costco does have canned salmon though. But it’s not really that cheap. But they do have sour cream in bulk, and you can buy 5 hass avocados for $379. Which I’m in a constant battle over, I’m willing to pay that much for them but can I eat 5 avos before they go bad???

I spend a lot of time at supermarkets looking at what is available. I also quite enjoy looking at recipes for ideas. So when I find a recipe that I can tick off all the ingredients I print it out and file it away for a rainy day.

Disclaimer though, a lot of a cooking is kind of studenty cooking. I’m sure a lot of other forumosans out there would be much, MUCH better at cooking than me. If you have older, female, english-speaking coworkers ask them to show you how to cook something. My coworkers got a HUGE kick out of teaching me a few recipes. And going to a supermarket with either a local, or an expat whose been here for a while is really helpful.

Also, I’m a lover of the wok. Yes, I will cook Italian sauces in a wok. And no, I’m not ashamed of it.

11

[quote=“Icon”]

You need a rice cooker, a Tatung rice cooker, the Panzer tank of rice cookers. Not for rice, but for stews, soups, pasta, even bread. It is magical. And economical. Lasts a lifetime. I have the same one I bought when I arrived… last century…[/quote]
The Tatung is great, isn’t it? I’m interested in any recipes you have for it. Where did you find them? Either in English or in Chinese is fine.

12

Guys, we need to put our heads together to help this gal, Xinyi is a very expensive district to live/shop. I think I have seen a few organic stores around Wuxin Road, but not much in terms of Carrefour or any bigegr supermarket -PX Mart aside, which is not very newbie friendly.

What is the closest Carrefour in that area? Would it be headed towards Nankang or more towards Mucha? I am not familiar with the area.

Yep, everything is cheaper in Costco, but bigger, so you gotta have storage space/people to share with.

The thing with the Tatung rice cooker is that you can make a lot of stews in it, and stews, rather than stir friend stuff, is the preferred way of cooking in Latin America. So basically you throw in a few onions, garlic, herbs and sautéed that, then some meat like a few pieces of chicken -with turmeric or achiote for color- a few potatoes, carrots, maybe some peas and anything else you think matches, let it simmer till done and voila, simple fare that is nutritional and tasty. You can do curries -bit more local- or like I do: open a can of beans/garbanzos and throw in some pork. Again, add spices, simmer and enjoy. I do cans because cooking bean requires too much time. Which reminds me:

WARNING - local beans are not the same kind as Latin American beans. They are a whole different animal, like avocados. Just different varieties, with different taste. For beans like Abuela used to make, you have to hike to Tianmu or bigger supermarkets.

Same with rice. Cooking local rice our way will result in a disaster. Try Thai varieties.

There is an Indian store which brings really good spices and stuff that can be used in Latin American style cooking. It is across from the Taipei City Hall station. Trinity Store. Have a look.

Don’t know where to find a Filipino store in Xinyi. They are mostly around Zhongshan Road, north part of Taipei. You can make it a fun day trip. get some sardinas al tomate while you are there. Fresh rice + tomatoes + sardines = heaven.

13

Plus stews generally freeze quite well, and can be moderately balanced one-pot meals. Both are very important and useful features for someone living on their own!

Especially the black beans. I can imagine someone trying to make beans and rice with the local black beans would taste the result and give up cooking forever.

Chinese address: 台北市忠孝東路五段137號2樓; web site: http://www.trinityworldwide.com/tss/ Great selection, but do check the expiry dates.

14

The Dongxing store, I believe, east of Guangfu on Shimin.
東興店
110 台北市 信義區
東興路45號B1
電話: (02)8768-1111

15

The Dongxing store, I believe, east of Guangfu on Shimin.
東興店
110 台北市 信義區
東興路45號B1
電話: (02)8768-1111[/quote]

:astonished: All the way down the Death Star?! Is there anything closer say to Taipei Medical University/Wuxing Street?

16

If you search for ‘carrefour map taipei’ and open a few links there will be a Google Map showing all their locations, and you or she can have a look to see if there’s something more convenient.

Bienvenida, iN4nN4!
Here are some tips on sourcing:

Trinity is good for cumin (ask for jeera if you don’t see it) and some other spices (coriander seed, etc.).
The Filipino stores on Zhongshan N. Rd. are the only places I know of to get achiote (annatto seed powder, actually, not the Mexican paste bricks). My house is the place to get dried epazote, which I brought from home. I can meet anyone at 101 to give them some, as I’ll never use it all.

Wellman’s in Tianmu had [b]masa harina [/b ]last time I checked, btw. Nobody has dried anchos, pasillas etc. but you can find canned chipotles, salsas and tomatillos (e.g. Jason’s). If you use a lot of sour cream, Costco is the best source. Canned refried beans are widely available, although not as good as homemade.

Flour tortillas are common but corn ones hard to come by. The frozen ones at Wellmans, Willie’s Deli in Tianmu etc. break if you try to thaw then bend them for enchiladas, flautas etc. So DIY from masa harina is best. IF you get a cast iron skillet at Costco or IKEA, all the better.

17

[quote=“Dragonbones”]If you search for ‘carrefour map taipei’ and open a few links there will be a Google Map showing all their locations, and you or she can have a look to see if there’s something more convenient.

Trinity is good for cumin (ask for jeera if you don’t see it) and some other spices (coriander seed, etc.).
The Filipino stores on Zhongshan N. Rd. are the only places I know of to get achiote (annatto seed powder, actually, not the Mexican paste bricks). My house is the place to get dried epazote, which I brought from home. I can meet anyone at 101 to give them some, as I’ll never use it all.[/quote]

Nope, closest I can see is a couple of PX Marts and a Matsusei and 3 Wellcomes. All, far, far away. Oh, and Jason’s. And City Super. Rats and double rats.