Sometimes I have even mistaken these foods for meat during the weekly vegetarian school lunch!
Taiwan’s food is influenced by a lot of different countries in East and South(east) Asia. In Kaohsiung, you can see this through the variety of Indian, Japanese, Korean and Chinese-inspired dishes. Even in convenience stores, you can find this, with curry and rice meals available alongside a variety of onigiri and sushi flavors. Part of this is due to Taiwan’s long period of colonial rule and physical proximity to other countries in East Asia, but Kaohsiung, in particular, has seen a lot of influence from places like India and Southeast Asia (namely Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines) due to immigration from these regions. However, most food is prepared using local ingredients, centering on local crops such as rice, soybeans and tea leaves, as well as the abundance of local tropical fruits available year-round. If it is not black tea, red bean or custard-filled buns, it is fruit smoothies and pineapple cakes (凤梨酥 Feng Li Su). Snacks such as these are just a few of the local flavors that I have found to be uniquely Taiwanese!
