Food you must try in Tainan

Tainan Shrimp Rolls (Xia Juan)

Shrimp rolls are one of the most popular local snacks in Tainan. Shrimp rolls are made from popiah "skin" mixed with shrimp paste and fried in a pan of hot oil. When you just bite into the crispy, golden crust, you will feel the delicious shrimp fish sauce flowing in your mouth. An important ingredient for a delicious shrimp cake is that the shrimp must be fresh and delicious. After carefully removing the shrimp intestines, the shrimp are ground into a paste, then mixed with spices and used as the filling for the famous Taiwanese shrimp paste. Shrimp rolls are both sweet and delicious, a dish loved by all ages. This can be a snack, appetizer in a main meal or can be served with rice or noodles.

Dan-Tsu (Dan Zi Mian) Noodles

This traditional noodle dish has a historical value, especially for the people of Tainan. Locals say that Hong Yutou, a fisherman in Tainan during the Qing Dynasty, sold this popular noodle dish on a homemade lantern. Noodles in Chinese mean "survive through hard times". Dan-Tsu noodles have simple ingredients with bean sprouts, coriander, garlic and minced pork. Although the recipe for Dan-Tsu noodles is not too fancy and complicated, it is a highly prized dish in Tainan cuisine, reminiscent of the difficult times when Tainan fishermen had to try their best. trying to make a living during off-season.

Eel noodles (shan yu yi mian)

Eel noodles (shan yu yi mian) are a very popular dish among Tainan locals. There are 2 types: dried eel vermicelli and boiled eel vermicelli, depending on each restaurant. You can choose between rice noodles, egg noodles or barley noodles. There are many restaurants and eel noodle shops on the streets of Tainan. The freshest eels are selected and processed carefully, ensuring no bones and fishy taste. The chewy eel and noodles are made by traditional manual methods, creating a characteristic salty taste and appealing to diners.

Beef soup (niu rou tang)

An unforgettable experience if you have the opportunity to visit Tainan is to have breakfast with the locals and enjoy the signature beef soup. Beef tendon, onion and cabbage are cooked from the night before, fresh beef is carefully selected, then hot broth is poured over beef slices before serving to diners. Start the experience by taking a sip of the soup and feel the delicious taste of the broth and then move on to feel the softness of the tender slices of beef. A bowl of beef soup for breakfast gives your body the protein it needs and you'll be full of energy and vitality to explore the beautiful city of Tainan.

Oyster roll (ke juan)

This dish is a perfect example of delicious Tainan dishes made with seafood. Oysters abound along the coast of Anping and have become a staple of traditional Tainan delicacies. Oyster rolls are crispy, delicious and very popular with Tainan people. In addition to the main ingredient of fresh oysters, local chefs also add pork, vegetables and other ingredients before deep frying the mixture on a hot pan. If you have the opportunity to come to Tainan, this is one of the traditional dishes that you should definitely not miss.

Tainan spring rolls “popiah” (chun juan/run bing)

The ingredients for popiah - cabbage, white radish and red radish - are placed in rice paper along with other ingredients such as dried tofu, eggs, coriander, peanut powder and bean sprouts. This dish is served with a unique sauce made in the style of each restaurant. It is said that in memory of Jie Zitui, who died in a fire, Duke Wen of Jin ordered the locals to eat only cold food. This practice was later linked to the tradition of sweeping tombs during the Qingming period, where many families would strictly adhere to the tradition of eating cold foods. Popiah, a delicious roll made without a fire, was born. It is available all over Taiwan. In Tainan, popiah rolls are soaked in sugar and then heated. If you don't like the taste too sweet, you can ask the seller for less sugar, depending on your taste.