Mustachioventures: Taiwanese Snacks I Love

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Taiwanese Snacks I Love

Ask friends who have been to Taiwan what they suggest to do, and food trip would almost always be the answer. Yes, Taiwanese food is really delicious, from street food to Michelin-starred restaurants. But what about snacks?

Ve Wong Little Prince Snack Noodles
25 NTD for a pack of 8

Little Prince Snack Noodles are addicting little packets of crunchy ready-to-eat noodles that come in different flavors. I first discovered these in the free snack corner of the hotel we were staying in, Haozhan Hotel. Where could I buy these? The receptionist was no help! Luckily, I found some in the convenience store and in a stall in Pingxi (photo below was from said stall). And it was really cheap!

Little Prince Snack Noodles in different flavors

Butter Crispy Cake from Red Sakura
280 NTD for a box of 8

The roundtrip MRT tickets that we got from Klook came with a coupon for a free gift from Red Sakura. We really did not have plans of claiming the free gift, but while walking around Ximending, we stumbled upon Red Sakura, and, well, because I am a sucker for free stuff, claim it we did. The free gift was a packet of Butter Crispy Cake. Crispy flaky shell with a pat of creamy, but not greasy, butter inside. This free gift was a good way to advertise! It resulted in a sale: I bought a box to bring home to my family in Cebu.

Red Sakura's Butter Crispy Cake

(Photo from Red Sakura)

French Nougat from Sugar & Spice
350 NTD for 400g (around 29 pieces)

These nougats with almonds are firm but not hard (unlike some other nougats I have tried), chewy but not sticky to the teeth, and has the right amount of sweetness. Sugar & Spice's French nougats are so good that I just had to forget about being thrifty and give in to this expensive indulgence.

French Nougat

(Photo from Sugar & Spice)

Dried Okra
200 NTD

Who would want to snack on vegetables?? After tasting the free samples of crunchy, delicious, dried okra in one of the stalls selling dried vegetables in Jiufen, then that would be us! Thinking we'd pass by the same place on the way home, we said we'd buy later. We were crestfallen when, some time later, we realized we wouldn't be able to go back to the dried vegetables stall (lesson here: buy while you have the chance). Fortunately, two days after, when we were fighting our way through the crowds of Raohe Night Market, we found a stall with various packets of dried vegetables for sale. Now was our last chance to buy some dried okra for some guilt-free snacking.

Almond Pork Paper
150 NTD (small box) / 250 NTD (big box)

The numerous stores in Ximending selling a variety of souvenir items overwhelms the senses. It's fortunate most stores have free samples which give tourists unfamiliar with the products a helping hand. Of all the souvenir food items we tried, this Almond Paper Pork, to me, was the best. Tasty, crispy, thin papers of pork floss and almonds. I could eat a box in just one sitting. So good!