vegetarian taiwainese food with mock meats rice and vegetables at a local restaurant

We want to take you on a journey through Taiwanese food, exploring some of the island’s most iconic dishes. From savory street food to traditional specialties, we’re sharing only our personal favorites—flavors that truly define Taiwan’s rich culinary scene.

We really enjoyed the food in Taiwan. As we explored, we discovered that each meal was a new experience, bursting with flavor. It never lost its excitement. Taiwanese cuisine is wonderfully diverse and delicious, with a strong focus on fresh ingredients and a perfect balance of flavors. Drawing from Chinese, Japanese, and indigenous culinary traditions, it offers a truly unique dining experience.

The dishes often strike a balance with savory, umami-rich flavors and subtle sweetness. Soy sauce, rice wine, and fermented products like tofu add to this depth of flavor. Most dishes are accompanied with rice or noodles. An example of a typical dish includes protein, vegetables and rice. Proteins vary from seafood, pork, beef, chicken, tofu or bean curd. For seafood lovers, there are abundant dishes like fish soup, shrimp, and oyster omelets.

Taiwan is known for its vibrant street food scene. Night markets offer a huge variety of affordable and delicious foods like bubble tea, stinky tofu, grilled meats, fried seafood or chicken, dumplings, and sweet treats.

At most restaurants you’ll be given a laminated menu or a small paper to mark the items you’d like to order. Typically, payment is made upfront, before your food is prepared.

We hope you enjoy Taiwan’s cuisine as much as we did and that you’ll be inspired to try some of our recommended dishes! If you want to indulge yourself in Taiwanese food, check out our city guides for the food stalls and restaurants showcasing this and other regional specialties.

Dietary Restrictions

Taiwanese food relies heavily on pork, which made it very difficult for us since we both don’t enjoy eating pork meat. In Taiwan in some menus meat is being used as a synonym for pork, so always ask if you are unsure. As we experienced, vendors are very accommodating and will adjust your meal to your preferences, if possible.

Taiwan’s Buddhist population emphasizes on following a vegetarian diet. Therefore, vegetarian dishes and restaurants can be found without a problem. The dishes showcase Taiwanese typical food with the use of mock-meat and vegetables. We use the app HappyCow to find suggestions. Some restaurants in Google Maps will explicitly be marked as vegetarian, but we sometimes were surprised to find that others were solely vegetarian. When searching on google maps you can type vegetarian or 素食. As we experienced, vegan food is easy to find in the vegetarian buffets, less so in the breakfast stalls.

Peanuts are also widely used in Taiwanese cuisine either as peanut butter, peanut brittle or crushed peanuts. If you have an allergy, try to communicate this as soon as possible or ask your vendor if it is contained in your food.

Rice is a staple in Taiwanese meals making it easy for the gluten-free diet. Rice is often served with meats, vegetables, or in the form of rice porridge. Noodles, whether stir-fried or in soups, are also common. But not all noodles are made of rice, double check before ordering if they are made of wheat or eggs.

Now that we discussed what you should keep in mind in case of any dietary restriction, let’s dig in.

Let’s talk about breakfast

Taiwan has a vibrant breakfast culture, with some restaurants specializing exclusively in breakfast foods, often opening as early as 6 a.m. and serving until 2:00 p.m. We prefer a hearty breakfast over a sweet one, and luckily, typical Taiwanese breakfasts tend to be on the heartier side. However, don’t worry—both savory and sweet options are readily available.

Typical breakfast eateries feature dishes that quickly became our personal favorites and were ones we enjoyed almost every morning. Two pancakes, in particular, are a must-try. First, there’s Dan Bing (蛋餅), a filled egg pancake that’s essentially a mix of a crepe and an omelette, with your choice of fillings such as vegetables, pork, ham, tuna, chicken, corn, or cheese. Another favorite is the Cong You Bing (蔥油餅), a crispy, flaky scallion pancake, often served with an omelette and customizable with various fillings. You can also opt for cold noodles, served with a rich sesame sauce, and choose to have them with or without meat.

Almost every stall or breakfast restaurant serves homemade soy milk, Dou Jiang (豆漿) available either hot or iced, along with black tea or our favorite drink: black tea with soy milk.

Modern breakfast spots often feature a blend of American breakfast options. Here, you’ll find egg and sausage muffins, hash browns, American-style pancakes, croissant sandwiches, toast sandwiches, breakfast burgers, and thick toast, typically served with sweet toppings. These places also offer a wider selection of fruit teas, coffee, and other beverages. These types of restaurants mostly have an English menu.

At convenience stores, you’ll often find tea eggs and baked sweet potatoes in the “fresh and hot” section. We enjoyed these as a quick breakfast on days when we needed something on the go. Not only are they incredibly affordable, but they’re also a local staple and absolutely delicious. While we’re not sure if they’re traditionally eaten for breakfast, that’s how we enjoyed them.

taiwanese scallion pancake is a flaky crispy breakfast pancake

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Tea, Tea and more Bubble Tea

We’re tea drinkers, and Ingrid drinks it all day long, so Taiwan was the perfect place for us. Taiwan is the birthplace of Bubble Tea and home to numerous tea plantations. In fact, you’ll find at least two bubble tea shops on nearly every street. Initially, we were a bit skeptical, as we’re not fans of overly sugary drinks or artificial flavors. However, that’s exactly why we ended up loving the tea shops.

Taiwan offers a wide variety of teas, including Oolong, Black, Green, and Ruby Tea. Once you choose your tea base, the fun begins. You can customize it with options adding milk, fruit, Yakult, tapioca pearls, or jelly. The last step is deciding how much ice and sugar to add. The best part is that the tea flavor is strong and authentic, with natural fruit juices used instead of artificial syrups. While we don’t drink milk, we found the popular “Milk and Sugar Tea with Pearls” a classic we had to try. Our personal favorites were Green Tea with Orange Juice, Oolong Tea with pearls and coconut jelly, and Passion Fruit Green Tea.

We always order without sugar or ice. We brought our own thermos bottles and asked the shops to pour the tea directly into them. The insulation in our bottles is so good that the ice never melts, which is why we opt for no ice. Depending on your bottle and preferences, feel free to adjust as you like. It’s an easy way to travel more sustainable and most shops offer a $5 NT discount - win-win!

Taiwan’s Signature Main Dishes

Gua Bao (刈包), often referred to as the Bao Bun in many Western countries, is typically filled with braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, and crushed peanuts. However, you can also find variations with chicken, beef, or vegetarian options.

A beloved Taiwanese classic Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵, Niúròu Miàn) consists of tender, braised beef chunks or slices served in a rich, flavorful broth with noodles. It’s usually topped with pickled mustard greens and fresh herbs, offering a comforting, hearty meal that’s perfect at any time of day.

Taiwan’s Hot Pot (火鍋, Huǒ Guō) is a fun, communal meal where you dip meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles into a bubbling broth. You can choose from a variety of broths, such as spicy, herbal, or mild, and select from a range of dipping sauces. Though hot pot is also popular in Thailand, we were initially hesitant to try it in Taiwan due to its meat-heavy reputation. However, the hot pot restaurant we visited also offered a delicious vegetarian version, making it a great option for all diets.

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Taiwanese Street Food

Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐, Chòu Dòufu) is an infamous street snack is known for its pungent odor, but don’t let that deter you! The tofu is fermented and then deep-fried, usually served with pickled cabbage. Despite its strong smell, it’s surprisingly delicious, with a crunchy exterior and soft, creamy interior.

Taiwanese Fried Squid (炸魷魚, zhà yóu yúis) a lightly coated in a crispy batter or seasoned flour, then deep-fried to golden perfection with the outer layer being crunchy while the inside remains soft. To enhance the flavor it is usually seasoned with a generous sprinkle of salt, pepper, and sometimes five-spice powder. For extra tang and heat, it’s often served with a side of sweet chili sauce or garlic dipping sauce. A vegetarian and equally delicious version is the deep fried Trumpet King Mushroom (炸杏鮑菇, zha Xingbaogu).

Mud shrimps (猴子蝦, hóu zi xiā) are deep-fried river shrimps served with their shells, which is eatable, allowing you to enjoy the full crispy texture. The shrimps are seasoned with a fragrant mix of basil, salt, pepper, and garlic, which infuses them with a bold, savory flavor. The result is a crunchy, flavorful bite that’s both crispy and aromatic—perfect for snacking.

Taiwanese sweet potato balls (台灣地瓜球, Táiwān dìguā qiú) are small balls made from mashed sweet potatoes, mixed with tapioca starch or sometimes glutinous rice flour. These balls are then deep-fried until they become golden brown and crispy on the outside, while the inside remains soft and chewy. They can be savory or sweet, our favorite seasoning is seaweed.

Sven from The Real Traveler showing mud shrimps with basil a popular street food in Taiwan

Taiwanese Sweets

You can’t leave Taiwan without trying the iconic peanut ice cream roll. This unique treat features a soft egg pancake wrapped around coriander, crunchy peanut brittle, and taro ice cream balls, all rolled up like a burrito. It might sound unusual at first, but we were pleasantly surprised by how well the coriander complements the sweetness of the other ingredients. If you’re not a fan of coriander, just ask to omit it.

Another must-try sweet is the Pineapple Cake 鳳梨酥 or feng li su. Picture a buttery, two-finger-thick rectangular cookie filled with a luscious pineapple jam—simple yet delicious.

Douhua 豆花, also known as tofu pudding, is a popular dessert made from soft, silky tofu. It is usually served chilled or at room temperature and has a smooth, creamy texture that melts in your mouth. It’s often served with a sweet syrup, which can be made from ingredients like brown sugar or ginger, giving it a warm, comforting sweetness. You can customize it with various toppings such as red beans, tapioca pearls, peanuts, or sago (small tapioca-like pearls).

Lastly, Taiwan’s take on mochi is equally delightful. Made from glutinous rice dough, these chewy treats are filled with either crushed peanuts or sesame seeds and shaped like mini empanadas. Topped off with your choice of peanuts or sesame, it’s a satisfying and flavorful bite.

Another popular version is the grilled mochi烤麻糬 or kao moji skewers are often topped with a variety of sauces such as chocolate, matcha, and condensed milk. These skewers feature chewy, grilled mochi balls threaded onto sticks and charred to perfection, giving them a crispy exterior while maintaining a soft, gooey interior.

Taiwan