A week ago I returned from a trip abroad. Half my suitcase was packed with gifts from Taiwan for friends, family and business associates.
Apart from fridge magnets, cosmetics, perfume, etc. which could well be from any country, some quintessentially Taiwanese gifts I bought were various pineapple and other cakes, and tea.
The reception was lukewarm - families that got the cake gift boxes said they were dry/crumbly (although the children finished them) and the tea was too strong and had a strange taste.
Meat products can be a bit iffy as gifts because it depends on the destination country’s meat import laws. But I’ll still take suggestions here.
So I’d like to ask - what are some unique Taiwanese gifts you recommend getting for friends/family, and if people come visit, what are some unique things they could eat or try?
(Please no suggestions about stinky tofu. Surely a first world country with a population of 23M could do better than offer rotten food to visitors ).
Most visitors are satisfied with a trip to Dingtaifeng. You can throw in a trip to a rechao joint if they are more adventurous. Higher end Japanese places work pretty well too.
I’ve never been able to figure out gifts unless the recipient is a serious tea drinker.
Many flights transit through hubs which may ban it, like Dubai. And seriously, who wants to play Russian Roulette with oral cancer? It’s a disgusting habit.
Well… people just love things that could give them cancer, don’t we… For me the rules is that as long as it don’t give other people cancer, it might be alright.
We bring Whiskey (for me from Japan too!, which is much cheaper in taiwan and Japan). In Nordics/Baltics Kavalan is popular as a gift, as it’s really expensive there if you can find it (a few hypers have it, at 3X+ Taiwan’s local price). Last trip this month, also local rice wines (swwet ones) and well as fruity ones
Like a lot of things quality varies. Taiwanese food, so the average is low. You could ask if anyone here knows a reliable brand, but I doubt it.
Again, there is variety. Also, knowing how to make green tea is important. If they didn’t rinse an oolong, put in too much with water too hot, and left it steeping too long, even well packed quality tea will be awful. Taiwan is definitely one of the best places in the world for green tea. Not everyone likes green tea
For food, gag gifts. Like sea cockroach Lays, chocolate flavored dry squid, fish flavor instant noodles. At least let them not expect something delicious and then be disappointed (although that is for me the authentic experience)
Last time I took back mostly Indigenous gifts. Coffee is a good choice, but also I haf a bunch of lanyards and a few bags and pouches with Indigenous designs and gave people options of lengths and sizes and styles and let them choose their own
Oh, also, Kaohsiung has an MRT station master who is also a cat. The Zuoying station has a kiosk dedicated to the cat, so i got some things from there and it was a cute story
).