Taipei has been ranked as one of Asia’s 10 greatest street food cities by CNNGo, an online travel guide affiliated with U.S.-based Cable News Network. The city “has streets that teem with vendors serving savory noodle soups, dumplings and steamed buns,” CNNGo said March 23. “In the evening, night markets open all over the city selling a plethora of clothes and household goods, but their real draw is the food.” The website listed 10 must-try distinctive night market dishes, such as sheng jian bao, or steamed pork buns; beef noodles; chou doufu, the notorious stinky tofu; oa misua, or oyster vermicelli; and douhua, a popular dessert made with silky bean curd. “Much of Taipei’s street food has its roots in mainland China, but the people of Taiwan have put their own spin on the dishes,” CNNGo noted. “The street foods of Taipei might not be strictly native to Taiwan, but they just seem to taste better there.” The other cities praised by CNNGo for the appeal of their street cuisine are Bangkok, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Manila, Penang, Phnom Penh, Seoul, Singapore and Xi-an. As part of a continuous effort to promote Taiwan’s food culture, in late 2011 the Government Information Office launched a website dedicated to popularizing Taiwan’s gourmet food tradition, famous night market eats and fusion cooking trends.
