Jean guides us through a number of neighborhoods and markets, sampling everything from soft, meat-filled gua bao (pork belly buns), to crunchy fresh guava, peppered with an addictive dried plum powder that zings in your mouth. “Taiwan has gone through so much hardship, but food has always been there,” Jean tells me as we explore. “It’s our identity, in many ways.”
Indeed, the very best of Taiwan is on display here, as I spend night after night getting lost in the maze of brightly lit, smokey markets that you see in every corner of the city. My favourites include Lingjiang and Ningxia, where I sample everything from crispy duck rolls to fresh, crunchy guava covered in an addictive dried plum powder. I think I’m in love.
Taipei to Chiayi
After a week in the capital, it’s time to tear myself away. The plum-powder-with-anything addiction will remain, but there is much more of Taiwan to experience. I’m traveling in the best way possible. Taiwan’s railway system is the best I’ve encountered anywhere so far. State-owned, it is cheap, clean and efficient.
Perhaps the highlight is the ease of it all. I’ve been able to book my tickets up until the last minute through an app for a fair price that never fluctuates, and should I make a change of plan, I can just as easily cancel that ticket and receive a full refund. It’s public transport that actually works for, well, the public.