I have loved eating red velvet cake since I was little.
However, after I came to Taiwan to teach in 2020, I could not find a red velvet cake that matched the taste of my hometown.
Nevertheless, I have tried many traditional desserts over the past few years in Taiwan. Red bean cakes have become my new favorite.
They are inexpensive snacks commonly found at roadside stalls, with thin pastries filled with delicious red bean paste. Some places even sell them with cream or “savory radish fillings” .
There are always fixed stalls outside my school gate during dismissal time.
Does anyone have any recommendations for special Taiwanese snacks?
Fermented rice congee with egg and black sesame balls. It’s sweet and tastes remarkably like a beer. I guarantee you haven’t had anything like it. It rocks my world.
Swensen’s ice cream. Even though it originated in San Francisco, it’s been in Taiwan for so long that it’s more Taiwanese than American. Had the Turkish coffee flavor the other night at their new Daan location in the Park hotel. Just as yummy as I remembered.
Actually i’m coming round to Taiwans desserts. The light flavours used to do nothing for me but i’ve got much more used to it now.
My fave is probably the basic looking cake you can get in every bakery, i think its called honey cake or something. Its basically just a sponge cake but its very fine and light. Its great with some black tea, probably coffee too.
Besides that Tang yuan is my go to. Sesame or peanut, both are great. I don’t add soup though, i just eat them dry, way better.
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