Home to Din Tai Fung, bubble tea, and well-priced street snacks, Taiwan is one of the most popular holiday destinations for food lovers. To help you save on airfare and still satisfy those ever-lingering cravings, we’ve sussed out 7 Taiwan-inspired recipes for you to try at home.
-
Herbal Tea Leaf Eggs (Cha Ye Dan)
Any foodie worth their salt would know that you have to check out the convenience stores in Taiwan for the snacks, drinks, ready-to-eat meals, and tea leaf eggs. Make this recipe in a Thermos® Shuttle Chef® to save yourself the trouble of constantly checking on the pot and also save on electricity you would otherwise need with an electric cooker.
Find the recipe here.
-
Scallion Pancake (Cong You Bing)
Photo credit: Choochoo-ca-Chew
Flaky and fragrant, this humble pancake is delicious on its own, but you can level up by adding cheese, egg, or meats. You can make a batch and freeze them, making sure you place a sheet of baking paper between each pancake to make them easy to separate. Simply pull one out and heat up over a dry pan for a quick snack.
Find the recipe here.
-
Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan)
Photo credit: The Woks of Life
One of the most iconic dishes of Taiwan, this comfort food is a well-balanced mix of savoury and sweet (thanks to the rock sugar). The best way to enjoy it is to have a bite of everything - rice, meat and egg. Make life easier for yourself by using your Thermos® Shuttle Chef® to cook the hard-boiled eggs and rice used in the recipe.
Find the recipe here.
-
Chinese Fried Sauce Noodles (Zha Jiang Mian)
It may look plain but the dark-coloured sauce packs quite the umami-filled kick. This fuss-free recipe is designed to be cooked on-the-go with a Thermos® Food Jar. If you’re making it at home, add some stir-fried minced meat and lots of veggies, like shredded lettuce and blanched beansprouts, to turn it into a wholesome meal.
Find the recipe here.
-
Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
Photo credit: Rasa Malaysia
If you’re wondering how it got the name, this recipe uses a cup each of rice wine, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Throw in some basil leaves and garlic, and you have a fragrant dish that pairs perfectly with rice. A popular item in re chao shops (Taiwanese equivalent to zi char), the same cooking technique is also used for other ingredients, like squid, frog, and mushroom.
Find the recipe here.
-
Glutinous Rice Balls in Sweet Ginger Soup
While this is a winter staple in Taiwan, it’s a great dessert to enjoy even in our tropical weather as ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and also aids digestion. This recipe adds a local spin with the addition of pandan leaves to give the dish more aroma.
Find the recipe here.
-
Brown Sugar Boba (Bubble Tea)
Photo credit: Food52
You’ve probably drank more than a few cups of bubble tea, but have you ever tried making your own from scratch? This easy recipe teaches you how to make tapioca pearls, which is a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen. Have them roll out their own bobas to add to non-caffeinated drinks, like chocolate milk.
Find the recipe here.
