warpus
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Looks like a very nice country
I ended up sort of falling in love with it. It's just such a well rounded place. It's incredibly safe, progressive, welcoming, the people are really friendly well mannered and eager to help, the cities are modern and well connected, the food is cheap and delicious, the history is interesting and multi-layered, the focus on the pedestrian is a nice touch, the urban renewal projects are inspiring, the natural beauty is worth seeing, the hiking options are plentiful, and the influences range from Chinese, to Japanese, to south-east Asian, to western, to Austrasian/indigenous. It's an incredibly practical place, which is probably why I liked it so much, but parts of the island are a bit rough around the edges too. You sort of get a little bit of everything.
I can't really point to any one thing that the island especially excels at, compared to other countries that do, aside from the people being so friendly. It's just sort of good or decent at everything. When put all together, you get a place that's more than the sum of its parts. The more time I spent exploring Taiwan, the more I grew to enjoy it. I'm not surprised my friend Alexander Synaptic decided to stay there and make it his home. It's easy to see the appeal, but you've sort of got to go there and experience it for yourself to really fully get it, I think. Yeah, that's a bit cliche, but just listing the things that are nice there is not enough, it's moreso the atmosphere and vibe of the place that makes it great, but that's not easy to put into words.
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Being small, wealthy, multicultural, with a nice climate makes it economically and socially manageable. Being a multicultural island helps too; Hawaii is similar. It is also large enough that the mountainous interior and east side have not been as developed as the rest. For most of the island's history those areas were just seen as resources.
warpus
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Yeah, Taiwan does have all the ingredients in place for being a great place to live and visit, but I think there's more to it. On top of that you have the Taiwanese psyche and approach to life, which I found refreshing. It's practical, inclusive, and it just seems like the people care to improve their community. I don't know much about Taiwanese politics, but the urban projects that get approved also speak to a mindset that puts the community first. Obviously I was there for only a month or so and only experienced a very small part of these dynamics, but Taiwan to me feels like a somewhat special place with a unique social order. I connected with it in ways that I did not expect.
warpus
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Chiayi
Influenced by Dutch, Qing, and Japanese rule, Chiayi has a rich history going back hundreds of years. It is relatively small, with just under 500,000 people living in the Chiayi metropolitan area, although the city's strategic location has made it a bit of a regional hub. It acts as a getaway to the popular Alishan National Scenic Area, which is why most travellers come here.
Not me. I did not have enough time for Alishan, but was moved enough by a documentary to come here to sample a fish head stew. I left my large backpack at a storage locker and went for a walk around town.
Influenced by Dutch, Qing, and Japanese rule, Chiayi has a rich history going back hundreds of years. It is relatively small, with just under 500,000 people living in the Chiayi metropolitan area, although the city's strategic location has made it a bit of a regional hub. It acts as a getaway to the popular Alishan National Scenic Area, which is why most travellers come here.
Not me. I did not have enough time for Alishan, but was moved enough by a documentary to come here to sample a fish head stew. I left my large backpack at a storage locker and went for a walk around town.
warpus
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Smartfish (林聰明沙鍋魚頭)
aka Lin Congming's Stewed Fish Head in Clay Pot
This eatery is featured in Episode 5 of Netflix's Street Food: Asia, which highlights the street food scene in Chiayi. This is not a city I'd ever heard of before watching the documentary, only a couple weeks before my flight to Taiwan. I would have expected Taipei to be covered on the show instead of Chiayi, which made me look up this city and why it might have been selected instead. Turns out Chiayi has a unique culinary history and unique regional dishes on offer. It also turns out that one of the people Netflix hired to do the show was based in Chiayi at the time, and he was the person who recommended they film the episode here as opposed to Taipei. Alexander Synaptic also told me I made the right decision in deciding to stop in Chiayi, calling it a bit of a hidden gem.
The story of the poor family who started a fish head stew food stall in 1953 in an attempt to reverse their family fortunes really spoke to me. At the time fish heads were practically given away for free, which is why they embraced this particular ingredient. The fish head stew recipe had been in their family for a while; the hope was that this business would make them some money and help them out a bit, but also that the dish would be embraced by others. At first they did not see much success and were laughed at and called "fish heads", but the family kept at it and slowly over time their dish became popular. The Netflix show episode boosted their popularity, but by the time it aired Smartfish was already popular to some degree.
The episode focuses on and interviews the daughter of the couple who founded that food stall back in 1953. Her story really touched me. She made it her mission to help her parents with the food stall, and worked hard for years, until finally the food stall gained some traction and became somewhat popular. She helped modernize and run the eatery, overseeing the move to the new location. Such dedication in the face of ridicule by someone who came from such humble beginnings, leading to such a success story, it really left a mark on me. Smartfish is now known as THE Chiayi fish stew. During busy parts of the day it's not uncommon to see a couple hundred people waiting in line for their fish head stew.
I had to come here.
I have to admit it felt a bit surreal standing in line, waiting for my number to be called. I've visited many places in the past that I had previously seen in a documentary, but this felt different. Maybe it was my emotional reaction to the story?
After a 20 minute wait my food was ready and I was shown to a table. Wow.. This was a large bowl packed with all sorts of stuff! Alexander Synaptic told me that the stew is full of basically a lot of the things Taiwanese people like to eat, plus a fish head.
The rich with flavour broth caught my attention right away; it was a pleasure to sip. Pork bones and pork belly are used to make it, although I couldn't really tell if there were any pieces of pork belly in the mix. There was just so much going on - this must have been the most elaborate dish I'd eaten in Taiwan up until that point. I really liked the various kinds of tofu I found in the stew, it went very well with the broth. It also contained several kinds of mushroom, green onion, cabbage, and a variety of sauces and spices. What else am I forgetting.. Rice wine, soy sauce, chili oil, coriander.. I'm told that Sha Zha sauce is a key part of this dish as well. This is a sauce that's sometimes called "Chinese BBQ sauce", although that's not really a great way to describe it either. I'm probably forgetting some ingredients as well.
You are no doubt wondering about the fish head. I tried to eat it, but I wasn't really sure how to attack it. I tried to put parts in my mouth, but I had trouble grabbing hold of any meat. I managed to scrape off a bit here and there, but eventually went back to enjoying the broth, tofu, mushrooms, cabbage, and everything else. Later research told me that I should have been trying to eat the fish head cheeks.
Did my experience do my expectations justice? Basically. Before my arrival here I expected the fish head to be doing most of the talking. Turns out the broth, the tofu, the cabbage, the mushrooms, and the other ingredients were sort of the stars of the show, as far as I was concerned anyway. I wish I had taken more time to study the fish head and how to eat it properly, but after my meal I was satisfied that I came here and got to experience all the love that this family had put into this restaurant and this dish over the decades. Against all odds they became successful and I felt privileged I got to experience their creation.
Every once in a while I'd look around hoping to catch a glipse of the person who was the focus on the show, the daughter who made it her life's work to make this place successful. I doubted I'd actually run into her there, she must be an even busier person now that the Netflix show made their restaurant even more popular. I wanted to meet her and say how great it is that their fish head stew restaurant is now popular, but did not get the chance to. That's alright though! It was a long shot, and I felt great paying for my meal and contributing to their success. It also felt great just sitting there, looking around, just being there. The meal itself was also of course memorable, but there was more to the experience than just that.
A memorable visit to a restaurant I'd never have guessed I'd want to go out of my way to visit. Sometimes an unexpected emotional connection can make a big difference in how you enjoy something.
aka Lin Congming's Stewed Fish Head in Clay Pot
This eatery is featured in Episode 5 of Netflix's Street Food: Asia, which highlights the street food scene in Chiayi. This is not a city I'd ever heard of before watching the documentary, only a couple weeks before my flight to Taiwan. I would have expected Taipei to be covered on the show instead of Chiayi, which made me look up this city and why it might have been selected instead. Turns out Chiayi has a unique culinary history and unique regional dishes on offer. It also turns out that one of the people Netflix hired to do the show was based in Chiayi at the time, and he was the person who recommended they film the episode here as opposed to Taipei. Alexander Synaptic also told me I made the right decision in deciding to stop in Chiayi, calling it a bit of a hidden gem.
The story of the poor family who started a fish head stew food stall in 1953 in an attempt to reverse their family fortunes really spoke to me. At the time fish heads were practically given away for free, which is why they embraced this particular ingredient. The fish head stew recipe had been in their family for a while; the hope was that this business would make them some money and help them out a bit, but also that the dish would be embraced by others. At first they did not see much success and were laughed at and called "fish heads", but the family kept at it and slowly over time their dish became popular. The Netflix show episode boosted their popularity, but by the time it aired Smartfish was already popular to some degree.
The episode focuses on and interviews the daughter of the couple who founded that food stall back in 1953. Her story really touched me. She made it her mission to help her parents with the food stall, and worked hard for years, until finally the food stall gained some traction and became somewhat popular. She helped modernize and run the eatery, overseeing the move to the new location. Such dedication in the face of ridicule by someone who came from such humble beginnings, leading to such a success story, it really left a mark on me. Smartfish is now known as THE Chiayi fish stew. During busy parts of the day it's not uncommon to see a couple hundred people waiting in line for their fish head stew.
I had to come here.
I have to admit it felt a bit surreal standing in line, waiting for my number to be called. I've visited many places in the past that I had previously seen in a documentary, but this felt different. Maybe it was my emotional reaction to the story?
After a 20 minute wait my food was ready and I was shown to a table. Wow.. This was a large bowl packed with all sorts of stuff! Alexander Synaptic told me that the stew is full of basically a lot of the things Taiwanese people like to eat, plus a fish head.
The rich with flavour broth caught my attention right away; it was a pleasure to sip. Pork bones and pork belly are used to make it, although I couldn't really tell if there were any pieces of pork belly in the mix. There was just so much going on - this must have been the most elaborate dish I'd eaten in Taiwan up until that point. I really liked the various kinds of tofu I found in the stew, it went very well with the broth. It also contained several kinds of mushroom, green onion, cabbage, and a variety of sauces and spices. What else am I forgetting.. Rice wine, soy sauce, chili oil, coriander.. I'm told that Sha Zha sauce is a key part of this dish as well. This is a sauce that's sometimes called "Chinese BBQ sauce", although that's not really a great way to describe it either. I'm probably forgetting some ingredients as well.
You are no doubt wondering about the fish head. I tried to eat it, but I wasn't really sure how to attack it. I tried to put parts in my mouth, but I had trouble grabbing hold of any meat. I managed to scrape off a bit here and there, but eventually went back to enjoying the broth, tofu, mushrooms, cabbage, and everything else. Later research told me that I should have been trying to eat the fish head cheeks.
Did my experience do my expectations justice? Basically. Before my arrival here I expected the fish head to be doing most of the talking. Turns out the broth, the tofu, the cabbage, the mushrooms, and the other ingredients were sort of the stars of the show, as far as I was concerned anyway. I wish I had taken more time to study the fish head and how to eat it properly, but after my meal I was satisfied that I came here and got to experience all the love that this family had put into this restaurant and this dish over the decades. Against all odds they became successful and I felt privileged I got to experience their creation.
Every once in a while I'd look around hoping to catch a glipse of the person who was the focus on the show, the daughter who made it her life's work to make this place successful. I doubted I'd actually run into her there, she must be an even busier person now that the Netflix show made their restaurant even more popular. I wanted to meet her and say how great it is that their fish head stew restaurant is now popular, but did not get the chance to. That's alright though! It was a long shot, and I felt great paying for my meal and contributing to their success. It also felt great just sitting there, looking around, just being there. The meal itself was also of course memorable, but there was more to the experience than just that.
A memorable visit to a restaurant I'd never have guessed I'd want to go out of my way to visit. Sometimes an unexpected emotional connection can make a big difference in how you enjoy something.
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warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Democracy Turkey Rice (民主火雞肉飯)
Turkey rice is the most popular and iconic dish in Chiayi, but that wasn't always the case. Turkeys were introduced to Taiwan right after World War II by U.S. military personnel. Central Taiwanese farmers began raising the animals because they are larger, more affordable, and more nutritious than chickens, which were considered a luxury at the time.
The region around Chiayi in particular became a hub for turkey farming. This led to food vendors in the city modifying braised pork rice recipes and swapping out the pork for shredded turkey. And so a new dish was born and quickly became a regional favourite. Savoury turkey drippings and lard fried with shallots are also usually drizzled over the rice, although different vendors have slightly different takes on the dish.
I had located several well reviewed turkey rice restaurants in Chiayi, one of which came recommended by Alexander Synaptic. This particular restaurant is known for smothering the turkey rice with a layer of crispy fried shallots. Their sauce is also a bit sweeter than elsewhere, a nod to south Taiwanese culinary standards. Another ingredient they are known for is their savoury house-made scallion oil.
As for the name? It's a reference to the nearby "Fountain Circle" roundabout, also known as "The Holy Ground of Democracy", which during elections becomes a popular site for political rallies and speeches. Chiayi is also known for grassroots political movements and civic engagement, which the restaurant's name is also a reference to.
It's tough to really put into words how good this turkey rice was. It seems like such a simple dish, but it was amazing. I should have ordered more! To be honest I did not really notice that the sauce was a bit sweet. The main thing that jumped out at me were all the savoury layers of flavour. I actually had a small bowl of turkey rice at another well reviewed restaurant, right after I got off the train - and this was far superior.
To this day I occasionally daydream about Democracy Turkey Rice.
Turkey rice is the most popular and iconic dish in Chiayi, but that wasn't always the case. Turkeys were introduced to Taiwan right after World War II by U.S. military personnel. Central Taiwanese farmers began raising the animals because they are larger, more affordable, and more nutritious than chickens, which were considered a luxury at the time.
The region around Chiayi in particular became a hub for turkey farming. This led to food vendors in the city modifying braised pork rice recipes and swapping out the pork for shredded turkey. And so a new dish was born and quickly became a regional favourite. Savoury turkey drippings and lard fried with shallots are also usually drizzled over the rice, although different vendors have slightly different takes on the dish.
I had located several well reviewed turkey rice restaurants in Chiayi, one of which came recommended by Alexander Synaptic. This particular restaurant is known for smothering the turkey rice with a layer of crispy fried shallots. Their sauce is also a bit sweeter than elsewhere, a nod to south Taiwanese culinary standards. Another ingredient they are known for is their savoury house-made scallion oil.
As for the name? It's a reference to the nearby "Fountain Circle" roundabout, also known as "The Holy Ground of Democracy", which during elections becomes a popular site for political rallies and speeches. Chiayi is also known for grassroots political movements and civic engagement, which the restaurant's name is also a reference to.
It's tough to really put into words how good this turkey rice was. It seems like such a simple dish, but it was amazing. I should have ordered more! To be honest I did not really notice that the sauce was a bit sweet. The main thing that jumped out at me were all the savoury layers of flavour. I actually had a small bowl of turkey rice at another well reviewed restaurant, right after I got off the train - and this was far superior.
To this day I occasionally daydream about Democracy Turkey Rice.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Dàtiāngōng Wǔgǔwáng Temple (嘉義市大天宮五穀王廟)
This Taoist temple is primarily dedicated to Shénnóng Dàdì, the divine farmer from Chinese mythology who introduced human civilization to agriculture and herbal medicine. He is more commonly known as the Five Grains Emperor.
There is an interesting golden rooster statue here that Alexander Synaptic recommended I seek out. The legend is that locals were praying here to Shénnóng to end an especially devastating crop infestation and that a golden rooster was sent in a dream to the then village leader. The next day the crop infestation was gone and the harvest was saved. Ever since then locals have been gathering here on Shénnóng's birthday (April 26) to give thanks. The golden rooster is revered as a sort of spiritual sidekick.
Dàtiāngōng Wǔgǔwáng Temple was built in 1707 during the Qing dynasty, but was destroyed by Allied bombing during WWII and rebuilt in 1948. The parts I found the most interesting were the intricate designs on the roof as well as the folklore, which seemed very unique.
Chiayi has a high speed rail station technically outside of the city, in Chiayi County, built about 18 years ago. Maybe one day it will become a more popular tourist destination, but for now tourists don't tend to linger here; most who pass through here are more interested in the nearby Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. I found that this does give Chiayi a bit more of an authentic feel, but I suspect one day in the future more will flock here to take in the history and the food.
This Taoist temple is primarily dedicated to Shénnóng Dàdì, the divine farmer from Chinese mythology who introduced human civilization to agriculture and herbal medicine. He is more commonly known as the Five Grains Emperor.
There is an interesting golden rooster statue here that Alexander Synaptic recommended I seek out. The legend is that locals were praying here to Shénnóng to end an especially devastating crop infestation and that a golden rooster was sent in a dream to the then village leader. The next day the crop infestation was gone and the harvest was saved. Ever since then locals have been gathering here on Shénnóng's birthday (April 26) to give thanks. The golden rooster is revered as a sort of spiritual sidekick.
Dàtiāngōng Wǔgǔwáng Temple was built in 1707 during the Qing dynasty, but was destroyed by Allied bombing during WWII and rebuilt in 1948. The parts I found the most interesting were the intricate designs on the roof as well as the folklore, which seemed very unique.
Chiayi has a high speed rail station technically outside of the city, in Chiayi County, built about 18 years ago. Maybe one day it will become a more popular tourist destination, but for now tourists don't tend to linger here; most who pass through here are more interested in the nearby Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. I found that this does give Chiayi a bit more of an authentic feel, but I suspect one day in the future more will flock here to take in the history and the food.
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warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)
Virtually every single 7-11 and FamilyMart convenience store I walked into in Taiwan had this:
I visited many 7-Eleven and FamilyMart convenience stores on my trip, but usually had something specific in mind to buy, so I never bothered looking up what this is.
You are looking at gently cracked eggs that have been simmering in a broth made from black tea, soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, and other spices. The crack in the shell allows the broth to seep in while the egg slowly boils, adding flavour and a marbled-like pattern to the egg white.
Tea eggs are a popular comfort food in Taiwan, especially during the colder months. On average over 110,000 tea eggs are sold in 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan every day. If you include all the other convenience store chains, markets, restaurants, tea egg vendors, and other places you can buy tea eggs, the number of tea eggs sold in Taiwan every day goes up to potentially over a million a day. I tried looking up exactly how many, but that information doesn't seem readily available. "Hundreds of thousands to over a million" seems to be a conservative estimate.
Virtually every single 7-11 and FamilyMart convenience store I walked into in Taiwan had this:
I visited many 7-Eleven and FamilyMart convenience stores on my trip, but usually had something specific in mind to buy, so I never bothered looking up what this is.
You are looking at gently cracked eggs that have been simmering in a broth made from black tea, soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, and other spices. The crack in the shell allows the broth to seep in while the egg slowly boils, adding flavour and a marbled-like pattern to the egg white.
Tea eggs are a popular comfort food in Taiwan, especially during the colder months. On average over 110,000 tea eggs are sold in 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan every day. If you include all the other convenience store chains, markets, restaurants, tea egg vendors, and other places you can buy tea eggs, the number of tea eggs sold in Taiwan every day goes up to potentially over a million a day. I tried looking up exactly how many, but that information doesn't seem readily available. "Hundreds of thousands to over a million" seems to be a conservative estimate.
warpus
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Hinoki Village (檜意森活村)
Hinoki Village is a set of 28 restored wooden Japanese colonial era dormitories that were initially built to house forestry workers overseeing logging operations in what is now Alishan National Scenic Area. The "village" was revitalized as part of a major urban renewal project and opened to the public in 2014.
Here you'll find shops, restaurants, cafes, tea houses, exhibitions, weekend markets, and other cultural events. The restored wooden structures are surrounded by cypress trees. There's also a serene lotus pond. Overall a very relaxing part of Chiayi to explore on foot.
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Hinoki Village is a set of 28 restored wooden Japanese colonial era dormitories that were initially built to house forestry workers overseeing logging operations in what is now Alishan National Scenic Area. The "village" was revitalized as part of a major urban renewal project and opened to the public in 2014.
Here you'll find shops, restaurants, cafes, tea houses, exhibitions, weekend markets, and other cultural events. The restored wooden structures are surrounded by cypress trees. There's also a serene lotus pond. Overall a very relaxing part of Chiayi to explore on foot.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park (阿里山森林鐵路車庫園區)
Originally a locomotive repair and storage facility supporting lumber transport from the nearby Alishan mountains via the Alishan Forest Railway, this is now a sort of open air railway museum and railway heritage site. Here you can see vintage passenger and freight cars, as well as locomotives and historic railway structures and tools.
These days the narrow gauge Alishan Forest Railway is still operational, although it is now a scenic passenger route featuring 50 tunnels, 70 wooden bridges, and a unique spiral switchback system. It has been recognized as one of the most scenic railway routes in all of Asia.
The Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park wasn't even on my radar, I happened to stumble upon it during my walk back to the Chiayi rail station, to which I had to return by a certain time so I could pick up my backpack before the bag storage room closed for the day. As such I did not have too much time to spend here, which I wish I did, as I'm a fan of all things railway related.. Whenever I end up returning to Taiwan, Alishan and this railway are definitely going to be at the top of my list of attractions to visit.
Originally a locomotive repair and storage facility supporting lumber transport from the nearby Alishan mountains via the Alishan Forest Railway, this is now a sort of open air railway museum and railway heritage site. Here you can see vintage passenger and freight cars, as well as locomotives and historic railway structures and tools.
These days the narrow gauge Alishan Forest Railway is still operational, although it is now a scenic passenger route featuring 50 tunnels, 70 wooden bridges, and a unique spiral switchback system. It has been recognized as one of the most scenic railway routes in all of Asia.
The Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park wasn't even on my radar, I happened to stumble upon it during my walk back to the Chiayi rail station, to which I had to return by a certain time so I could pick up my backpack before the bag storage room closed for the day. As such I did not have too much time to spend here, which I wish I did, as I'm a fan of all things railway related.. Whenever I end up returning to Taiwan, Alishan and this railway are definitely going to be at the top of my list of attractions to visit.
warpus
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Alishan Forest Railway (阿里山森林鐵路)
As I walked back towards the Chiayi train station I came across a section of the narrow gauge 86km long Alishan Forest Railway wedged in between rows of buildings. It must be a fun ride through Chiayi and up into the mountains.
Here's a link to the wikipedia article about this route, containing more information and pictures.
As I walked back towards the Chiayi train station I came across a section of the narrow gauge 86km long Alishan Forest Railway wedged in between rows of buildings. It must be a fun ride through Chiayi and up into the mountains.
Here's a link to the wikipedia article about this route, containing more information and pictures.
warpus
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Another cool find on my walk was this mural
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warpus
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Museum Of Old Taiwan Tiles (臺灣花磚博物館)
Located inside a restored Japanese colonial era timber warehouse, this museum showcases over 4,000 hand crafted tiles, many from the early 1900s.
Located inside a restored Japanese colonial era timber warehouse, this museum showcases over 4,000 hand crafted tiles, many from the early 1900s.
