The Lost Imperial Seal book plugin
Besides semiconductors, Taiwan is most famous for its variety of restaurants and street foods.
If youve been reading the book carefully, you’d notice I included a lot of classic Taiwanese foods in the story.
The reason is simple. I love food and I hope to share my favourite ones.
I can't write a novel about Taiwan without mentioning the food
My wife Megan, who is my first no.1 beta reader, commented if the foods in the book may be distracting. I'm not sure. I will let you be the judge.
Because of its history of being governed by Japan, and later the retreat of the Republic of China military, and later American bases in Taiwan after World War II and before the discontinue of the diplomatic relationship.
It's tiny island. It has Japanese food influences, Kuomintang soldiers from provinces across China jampacked into a tiny island. In China, you usually cannot find authentic foods from a different provice. But beause Taiwan is so small, you can suddenly taste every type of Chinese food in such a small area. Obviously after so many decades, most Chinese food found in Taiwan have already been localized to the Taiwanese taste buds. Same goes for the American and European food found in Taiwan.
Burger, Milk Tea. Both Japanese and American culture
Unique to Taiwanese culture
Charcoal instead of propane, influenced by Japanese BBQ culture.
Economy steaks. Influenced by the American G.I.
When you search “traditional Taiwanese breakfast,” this is probably what you’ll find in the search results. But that’s not entirely accurate. Soybean milk, deep-fried dough sticks, sesame flatbreads, and buns all originated from northern China. This style of cuisine was brought to Taiwan by northern Chinese people who fled to the island with the retreat of the Republic of China military in 1949. Calling it "traditional" is a bit of a stretch since it’s only from the 20th century. True traditional Taiwanese cuisine would refer to Indigenous dishes.
The shop actually became famous for a darker reason. In 1993, an officer of Taiwan’s Navy Arms Procurement Office was last seen alive here before he was killed. His death remains a mystery, but it’s believed to be connected to a major political and military corruption scandal. Because of this, the shop has turned into a tourist attraction for those curious about the case.
They’re most famous for (this isn’t a complete list):
My favourite thing to order is their deep-fried dough stick wrapped in sesame flatbread (燒餅油條). It’s crispy and chewy at the same time. I like to pair it with potstickers and wash it down with hot soy milk. Soy milk is one of their most popular drinks. It’s high in protein and a great choice if you can’t have milk or are looking for a healthy alternative. One day, I hope to write a healthy diet plan based on East Asian food, and soy milk will definitely be part of it.
Note that Lai Lai Soybean Milk Shop has business hours that are quite different from most places. They’re open from evening until morning and closed during the day. This means they primarily serve late-night or early breakfast customers. Check their business hours before you go! They are closed in the afternoon.
Eaten. Chinese culture. Brought by the Chinese people who retreated with the Kuomintang military.
Taichung
xiaolongbao