[Taipei] Raohe Street Night Market 台北饒河街觀光夜市

Never worry about going hungry in Taiwan... because there's going to be food everywhere you go. And I mean literally. Street are filled with stalls, snacks and stores. Xiao chi (小吃), or street snacks, are fundamental to daily life in Taiwan. So much so that it's indoctrinated into their culture and social lives.

During my 8 days in Taiwan, I had food at least every 2 hours Here are just some of the snacks and street food I tried while traveling around Taiwan. Needless to say, I gained some happy tummy rolls as I left the country.

For starters, I recommend going to the Raohe Street Night Market (台北饒河街觀光夜市) located in Songshan District of Taipei. Open daily from 5pm to midnight. It's not the biggest one around, but trust me, it's enough for a night and less crowded than some of the more popular places. I think the food here is more authentic and of higher quailty due to there being less tourists.

MUSTS:

Handmade pepper buns (福州世祖胡椒饼) , freshly handmade and oven-baked made on the spot! I had to wait 15 minutes for it, but well worth the time. Filled with carefully marinated pork and pepper, the filling is mixed with spring onions and other spices. Baked with a sesame crust, it's super crispy on the outside and tender-juicy on the inside. One of the most popular vendors in the market - for a good reason!
Peanut and sesame coated glutinous sticky rice balls 麻糬 (mashu) but known to be 糖不甩 in some other places