You both are so adventurous!!! I truly think you should be hired to do food tasting tours - you’re both great at it and you play with your food as you enjoy it - Judy’s javelin throw of her tufo was priceless!!! As always, fantastic video.
Thank you so much for watching, Maria! Our palates aren't nearly as adventurous as some, but we do enjoy sampling what is popular, especially among the locals. As Kevin was editing the video and I was reviewing it over and over, I laughed every single time I saw that "javelin throw." I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it, too! -Judy
Thank you so much, Julie! We’ve had pickled radish sliced wafer thin, but if we had it served this way in the past, we had no idea what it was. Thank you for your help and for watching! -Judy
Thank you so much, Dan! And you are absolutely right about how good it felt to not have to worry about the food. We never ate in any of the night markets in Vietnam, but Taipei was easy/breezy. Without sharing your name, we did try to give you a little shoutout for the helpful insight! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie aw shucks, I noticed when Kevin made his little comment about keeping the tips coming, I kinda hoped he was thinking of me 🤣❤️. That’s funny, I get a real kick out of that😅 When I visited the big Taipei night market, I was lucky I had two locals to guide me around. I was only 26, and had not seen much of the world yet. I was freaked out by the culture shock, I was freaked out by the occasional nasty smell. And the floating things in the drinks weirded me out. But I quickly learnt from my local mates how safe it was, and how close minded I was being. I fell in love with the place, I even bought my 3 little daughters traditional Taiwanese clothing, that they looked gorgeous in. I’ll never forget the great times I had, and I thank you both for rekindling the memories. I’m guessing that you plan to return someday, when you can visit Taroko and Hualien etc. I’m disappointed you didn’t get the chance to see it this time. But at least now you know that Taiwan is a good and safe place to return to some day. Even though you just spent a month in Taiwan, you can’t quite tick it off the bucket list yet🤦♂️😂
@@danbulowski7013 Kevin was absolutely thinking of you! Shilin Night Market was a bit of a disappointment this time. Things have evolved and Raohe is really popular now. I read that Shilin was back to prepandemic levels, but I don't think that was the case, unfortunately. The underground stalls also are under construction, so that could also be keeping people away. Shilin did have a branch of the place that served the black pepper buns, but we were too full to have them again! We have had bubble tea in the past, but it's not our favorite. We felt that it was reasonably easy to eat in Taipei because it's such an international city. You are absolutely right that we still have more we want to see. There were a few side trips we wanted to add in, but bad weather was a problem. We had a lot more rain than we expected for the time of year we were visiting. I love hearing your story and learning about your family and your experiences. It's also impressive that you visited Taipei at 26. Unfortunately for us, we didn't do much travel outside of the US (with the exception of Canada and Mexico) until I was in my 40s. -Judy
It was clean, Sherrlynn. Although no place can hold a candle to Japan (particularly Kyoto, but really everywhere). They don't have trashcans outside in the city, which means that if you have trash, you have to take it home with you. And it's bad manners to walk around while you're eating or drinking, so you don't really have the ability to make some messes! -Judy 🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Yes, and we could have spent more time at the night markets. The problem is that I get full too fast! We weren't prepared for the earthquake we encountered there, though! -Judy 🎥 Disaster Preparedness: Our Earthquake Encounter in Taipei: ruclips.net/video/n2GVpBDAeww/видео.html
We never would have guessed it, but wow, thank you. That was a fast resolution! Thanks for watching! In case you missed it, below is a link to our other episode from Taipei. -Judy 🎥 First Timer's Guide to Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Thanks so much for watching, Ruth. We were so happy to have experienced Taipei. We would like to return and explore more cities and towns the next time we visit. Have you seen the rest of our series from Taipei? I'll link it below just in case you missed it. -Judy 🎥 First Timer's Guide to Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html 🎥 How to Prepare for Natural Disasters while Traveling: ruclips.net/video/n2GVpBDAeww/видео.html
Yes, we ate very well! Here's our other video from Taipei if you're interested, because Taipei has plenty of other great food outside of the night markets. -Judy 🎥 First Time in Taipei: 🇹🇼 Ultimate Guide: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Great episode thanks for sharing all 3 markets which will help us decide which ones to visit (at least 2 😂). Props for trying stinky tofu. I love it but it’s an acquire taste. You got it right though, have to eat it w the cabbage and sauce which complements it. Keep up the great series 🙏
Thanks so much for watching and for your encouragement! We actually really liked the stinky tofu, once we got past the idea of it. It was unexpected that it would be crunchy, so the texture of it helped! -Judy
We had a blast! We didn't share our experience of Ximending Night Market, but we went there primarily for J&G chicken (which was pretty tasty). We were late in our trip before seeking them out, but I can see how the food in these markets would make a satisfying dinner-we should have eaten there more often. Thanks for watching! -Judy
Hey @joshbhoy, thank you so much for watching! Taipei was great. We could probably have been more adventurous with food, but overall we were happy with what we tried. We had wanted to go back to the night markets one more time to try a few more exotic items, but we couldn't make the time. But of course, Taipei is worth a return trip! -Judy
🤣 Judy... "it's not that spicy"🌶️ 3...2...1... 🥵 😅 Judy... 😮 🔥 This was a great video & the lanterns everywhere made the night so pretty. Love the reactions to the spices.🌶️ 🏮
The food in Taipei actually wasn't generally so spicy on its own so adding spice added some extra flavor as well as heat. I have a better tolerance for spicy food than Kevin does, but it was a lot of fun to sample everything. Thank you so much for watching, Carolann, and for leaving this delightful comment. We so enjoy hearing your reactions to our videos! -Judy
Hi Sophia, thank you so much for your kind words. We're glad you found us! We didn't originally plan to spend seven months in Asia/SE Asia, but we enjoyed it a lot and kept wanting to see more. Originally thought we'd visit for three months and then move on. Who would have thought we'd end up visiting Japan, Vietnam (2x!), Cambodia, Thailand, Taipei, and South Korea! We definitely have more there we want to explore, so we're looking forward to returning. We have playlists for all of these countries if you want to check them out! Of course, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! -Judy
Thank you so much for saying so, Iris! It means a lot. We try to share what we've learned so that our viewers are better prepared for their own adventures to these places. In case you missed it, here's our First Timer's Guide to Taipei linked below. -Judy 🎥 First Timer's Guide to Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Your palettes must be made of IRON - I simply couldn't bear the spicy hot foods! It would be an adventure for me to seek out bland food to eat! THANK YOU, Colleen and Kevin! ♥
Thank you so much, Enrique! There was some spicy food in Thailand, but Taipei's food was generally very tame until adding some spice. We're here now in South Korea, and it's a whole different level of heat! We are looking forward to bringing episodes from here to you soon. We so appreciate your comment! -Judy
@@enriquesanchez2001 I had no idea! I naturally assumed Cuban food was spicy! But then again when we were in Mexico I was surprised at how not spicy their food was, either. I've learned something new. Thank you! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie Ha-ha! Judy, it is a common misconception that all "Spanish" related food is the same! To give you an example, one staple was white rice, with black beans (with green peppers and onions), now the meat could be anything from Palomilla steak which is a thinly cut top sirloin, moist and tender -or- broiled chicken - which is seasoned with some cumin, oregano, and paprika. Salt and pepper it generously., or Bacalao which is codfish that has been salted and dried giving it a unique flavor that is quite different from fresh cod or other white fish. ♥ Topped off with fried sweet, ripe Plantains! These days, I see French Fries added but our Americanized immersion is guilty of that! I never eat like this! I would have to be rolled out the door if I did!
@@enriquesanchez2001 Italy and Portugal also have a culture of eating Bacalao as well. We had some in Lisbon when we visited, but they may also have had their own spin on it. Your food sounds very tasty! And I don't blame you; I would skip the fries, too! I'd love to know the history behind the foods, which always is fascinating and often tied to history and culture. Thank you for sharing this! -Judy
My first trip to Taiwan was when I was 18 years old. I was enlisted into the army at that time, and was sent to Taiwan for real jungle training. My home country only has a concrete jungle 😃, My 2nd trip to Taiwan happened just a few years ago in more pleasant and enjoyable circumstances. This time, I was with my wife and daughter, instead of with my army sergeants and fellow recruits 😂 You seemed to be more adventurous than me. I ate only in my army camp during my first trip 😀, while I ate mostly in restaurants (eg Michelin-starred casual dining Din Tai Fung - did u try it?) during my 2nd trip. I find the food in Taiwan’s night markets to be very different from the food in my home country (as it should be! ) -- so I couldn’t adjust, hahaha
Thanks for sharing this with us, Mike! I can't imagine how rough jungle training would have been. How nice for you to return under happier circumstances. Someone suggested to us that we try Dian Shui Lu, which was super close to our Airbnb as an alternative to Din Tai Fung. It was very delicious (we include it in our Taipei for First Timer's Guide episode) We tried to get to Din Tai Fung a few times (the one by Taipei 101), but the lines always were too long. We try to taste as much local food as we can because we're likely to get authentic flavors and it's more affordable than some pricey restaurants, but we mostly end up doing a mix. We were late to trying out the night markets or else we would have tried to be even more adventurous. We only went to four of them and only once apiece, but they were worth a little more of our time than we gave them. But make no mistake that there are very few vegetables there, so it's not going to be the healthiest food and we certainly can't afford to eat too much of it! -Judy
Although I can’t take a lot of it at any one time, I learned recently that I do like Wasabi. it definitely opens the sinuses but has a very nice flavor. Reminds me of horseradish which I like. All that said, I am NOT a hot spicy kind of person. A mild kick is fine, but significant heat just takes away the pleasure for me. BTW, looking forward to experiencing some real French/Alsatian cuisine this coming August in Colmar!
Thanks so much for watching, Rebecca! Fortunately, this wasabi was quite as hot as what we experienced in Japan. And actually in the US horseradish "over 95% of wasabi served in sushi restaurants does not contain any real wasabi. Most fake wasabi is made from a blend of horseradish, mustard flour, cornstarch and green food colorant." We were talking about Colmar today! We are looking forward to it! -Judy
@Optimusprimerib36 I think some people's palate's aren't made for spicy food. We have a brother-in-law who has what's called a "geographic tongue," which gets irritated with spicy food, so it isn't always something that will get better with more exposure. -Judy
The Shilin market from 2005 was absolutely amazing. It has gone downhill in the past 10 years unfortunately. I miss the original large tent with all the vendors! That was the 'food' night market, and the there was another one in Taipei we called the 'clothes' night market. That was back when Korean jeans were super popular and we'd hunt to find them and bargain with all the vendors. Best times.
What a shame that things changed. What was the Raohe night market like back then? I’d feel a little better if that one was nonexistent and now has become something special. We had thought it was going to be such an incredible market, and we were disappointed to see that it seemed to be a shell of what it had been. Thanks, Allen, for sharing your experiences and for watching our video. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie I believe it was called 五分埔 or Wu Fen Pu. Maybe not a traditional night market and more like a clothing area. Don't think a lot of people go there anymore.
Thanks for the suggestion! We didn't show it, but we asked the stall worker for his recommendation. We would have loved to know to try it in advance. -Judy
I'm not sure if I know what they are, but these were really tasty. If I weren't already full and they weren't so heavy in our stomachs, I might have liked another one! It was excellent! We saw them at the Silin market as well, but we were too full to get them! -Judy
Hi Merrill, We went to one other night market (Ximending) that we didn't include, but otherwise what you saw is the extent of our time at the night markets. Except for the Ningxia one, the other two were farther away. When we can, we try to eat a few more vegetables than what is typically at the night market! To figure out what to eat, we used a combination of methods. I typically try to research what types of foods in a country are worth sampling and also I do research using blog articles to find additional recommendations. And then we just see what looks interesting! There is a variation of the scallion pancake that includes oysters, but we weren't feeling that ambitious. We would have liked to go back to the Raohe market and sample a little more, but we ran out of time. There definitely were things we wish we would have had time to try, but we didn't visit the night markets until too late in our trip. Also, our stomachs aren't used to eating that much. I had been on a mission to try mango shaved ice but when we found a stall, I was too stuffed to eat it! Thank you so much for watching! -Judy
@user-um5fm2ev7k In most cases, that's great advice! For food safety reasons as well, typically a busy street vendor means that food is fresh. But sometimes if you haven't done research, you might end up eating something you didn't intend to eat. It can all be part of the adventure, though! -Judy
Thank you so much for watching! Have you seen our First Timer's Guide to Taipei? We had such a great time here! -Judy 🎥 First Timer's Guide to Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Unfortunately, we did not know where to look! We ended up much of the time at Dreamers Coffee, which was a modern vegetarian cafe. It was very good, but not traditional. 😔 Here's our other video from Taipei if you're interested. -Judy 🎥 Taipei: First Timer's Guide: ruclips.net/video/ZPENQNxbBhU/видео.html
Thanks so much for helping us out! I am familiar with them, but for whatever reason they weren't in the top ten for vegetables that I could come up with when we were eating it! -Judy 🎥 Taipei travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0dD-pEyV1oCamZch9sUSpM
Actually, pickled pineapple is a little bit of sweet and sour, Taiwanese usually combine it with chicken rice. Some of my friend will eat it first, then some chicken rice. So it's a way to increase your appetite.
I don't think we have ever needed to "increase" our appetite as Americans! Thanks so much for this information! Here's a link to our other videos from Taiwan if you're interested. -Judy 🎥 First Time in Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Thank you so much! There was more we could have done in Taipei, but we are so glad to have experienced what we did. We want to visit other parts of the country now, too! -Judy 🎥 Thailand video series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF3cqPH8_O_WDVYgoT13KJRq
You both are so adventurous!!! I truly think you should be hired to do food tasting tours - you’re both great at it and you play with your food as you enjoy it - Judy’s javelin throw of her tufo was priceless!!! As always, fantastic video.
Thank you so much for watching, Maria! Our palates aren't nearly as adventurous as some, but we do enjoy sampling what is popular, especially among the locals. As Kevin was editing the video and I was reviewing it over and over, I laughed every single time I saw that "javelin throw." I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it, too! -Judy
It is pickle radish it’s popular in Japanese food but because food culture is influenced by Japan so It is very commonly served in Taiwan as well
Thank you so much, Julie! We’ve had pickled radish sliced wafer thin, but if we had it served this way in the past, we had no idea what it was. Thank you for your help and for watching! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie It's called takuan I think
@@jenp7008 I didn't know it had its own name. Thanks for that bit of information! -Judy
It’s a breath of fresh air, being able to trust the food and water in Taiwan. Great video guys, it’s good how you get the audience into the action
Thank you so much, Dan! And you are absolutely right about how good it felt to not have to worry about the food. We never ate in any of the night markets in Vietnam, but Taipei was easy/breezy. Without sharing your name, we did try to give you a little shoutout for the helpful insight! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie aw shucks, I noticed when Kevin made his little comment about keeping the tips coming, I kinda hoped he was thinking of me 🤣❤️. That’s funny, I get a real kick out of that😅
When I visited the big Taipei night market, I was lucky I had two locals to guide me around. I was only 26, and had not seen much of the world yet. I was freaked out by the culture shock, I was freaked out by the occasional nasty smell. And the floating things in the drinks weirded me out. But I quickly learnt from my local mates how safe it was, and how close minded I was being. I fell in love with the place, I even bought my 3 little daughters traditional Taiwanese clothing, that they looked gorgeous in. I’ll never forget the great times I had, and I thank you both for rekindling the memories.
I’m guessing that you plan to return someday, when you can visit Taroko and Hualien etc. I’m disappointed you didn’t get the chance to see it this time. But at least now you know that Taiwan is a good and safe place to return to some day. Even though you just spent a month in Taiwan, you can’t quite tick it off the bucket list yet🤦♂️😂
@@danbulowski7013 Kevin was absolutely thinking of you! Shilin Night Market was a bit of a disappointment this time. Things have evolved and Raohe is really popular now. I read that Shilin was back to prepandemic levels, but I don't think that was the case, unfortunately. The underground stalls also are under construction, so that could also be keeping people away. Shilin did have a branch of the place that served the black pepper buns, but we were too full to have them again! We have had bubble tea in the past, but it's not our favorite. We felt that it was reasonably easy to eat in Taipei because it's such an international city.
You are absolutely right that we still have more we want to see. There were a few side trips we wanted to add in, but bad weather was a problem. We had a lot more rain than we expected for the time of year we were visiting.
I love hearing your story and learning about your family and your experiences. It's also impressive that you visited Taipei at 26. Unfortunately for us, we didn't do much travel outside of the US (with the exception of Canada and Mexico) until I was in my 40s. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie ❤️👍Looking forward to the next adventure!
@@danbulowski7013 We are looking forward to sharing them with you! -Judy
All the amazing food this is a place I'd love to see so clean
It was clean, Sherrlynn. Although no place can hold a candle to Japan (particularly Kyoto, but really everywhere). They don't have trashcans outside in the city, which means that if you have trash, you have to take it home with you. And it's bad manners to walk around while you're eating or drinking, so you don't really have the ability to make some messes! -Judy
🎥 Japan travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0V4Brx4J0uWJdQENFZKWBT
Really nice clean place, tourist friendly
Yes, and we could have spent more time at the night markets. The problem is that I get full too fast! We weren't prepared for the earthquake we encountered there, though! -Judy
🎥 Disaster Preparedness: Our Earthquake Encounter in Taipei: ruclips.net/video/n2GVpBDAeww/видео.html
13:25 is the yellow pickled radish,it's a very common side dish in Taiwanese food.
We never would have guessed it, but wow, thank you. That was a fast resolution! Thanks for watching! In case you missed it, below is a link to our other episode from Taipei. -Judy
🎥 First Timer's Guide to Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Just started following you guys, love this one on Taiwan, a country less traveled, close enough to Japan for a visit.. thanks for sharing 🇦🇺
Thanks so much for watching, Ruth. We were so happy to have experienced Taipei. We would like to return and explore more cities and towns the next time we visit. Have you seen the rest of our series from Taipei? I'll link it below just in case you missed it. -Judy
🎥 First Timer's Guide to Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
🎥 How to Prepare for Natural Disasters while Traveling: ruclips.net/video/n2GVpBDAeww/видео.html
A country full of delicious-looking food. 🩵
Yes, we ate very well! Here's our other video from Taipei if you're interested, because Taipei has plenty of other great food outside of the night markets. -Judy
🎥 First Time in Taipei: 🇹🇼 Ultimate Guide: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Great episode thanks for sharing all 3 markets which will help us decide which ones to visit (at least 2 😂). Props for trying stinky tofu. I love it but it’s an acquire taste. You got it right though, have to eat it w the cabbage and sauce which complements it. Keep up the great series 🙏
Thanks so much for watching and for your encouragement! We actually really liked the stinky tofu, once we got past the idea of it. It was unexpected that it would be crunchy, so the texture of it helped! -Judy
I really liked those taiwan foodmarkets can’t get enough of them
We had a blast! We didn't share our experience of Ximending Night Market, but we went there primarily for J&G chicken (which was pretty tasty). We were late in our trip before seeking them out, but I can see how the food in these markets would make a satisfying dinner-we should have eaten there more often. Thanks for watching! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie We went to ximending also! love the food there
We did share some of our footage from one of the street performers from Ximending in the opening of this episode! -Judy
Love the willingness to try food. lots of people get scared off but most of the stuff is great (even the stinky tofu). Ps i love duck blood its great.
Hey @joshbhoy, thank you so much for watching! Taipei was great. We could probably have been more adventurous with food, but overall we were happy with what we tried. We had wanted to go back to the night markets one more time to try a few more exotic items, but we couldn't make the time. But of course, Taipei is worth a return trip! -Judy
🤣 Judy... "it's not that spicy"🌶️ 3...2...1... 🥵 😅
Judy... 😮 🔥
This was a great video & the lanterns everywhere made the night so pretty. Love the reactions to the spices.🌶️ 🏮
The food in Taipei actually wasn't generally so spicy on its own so adding spice added some extra flavor as well as heat. I have a better tolerance for spicy food than Kevin does, but it was a lot of fun to sample everything. Thank you so much for watching, Carolann, and for leaving this delightful comment. We so enjoy hearing your reactions to our videos! -Judy
I just started to pick up your videos, and love all of them particularly your adventures in Asian countries. Very inspiring too!
Hi Sophia, thank you so much for your kind words. We're glad you found us! We didn't originally plan to spend seven months in Asia/SE Asia, but we enjoyed it a lot and kept wanting to see more. Originally thought we'd visit for three months and then move on. Who would have thought we'd end up visiting Japan, Vietnam (2x!), Cambodia, Thailand, Taipei, and South Korea! We definitely have more there we want to explore, so we're looking forward to returning. We have playlists for all of these countries if you want to check them out! Of course, don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! -Judy
You always have the best travel guides 😘 even down to the details such as seatings and trash cans.
Thank you so much for saying so, Iris! It means a lot. We try to share what we've learned so that our viewers are better prepared for their own adventures to these places. In case you missed it, here's our First Timer's Guide to Taipei linked below. -Judy
🎥 First Timer's Guide to Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Your palettes must be made of IRON - I simply couldn't bear the spicy hot foods! It would be an adventure for me to seek out bland food to eat! THANK YOU, Colleen and Kevin! ♥
Thank you so much, Enrique! There was some spicy food in Thailand, but Taipei's food was generally very tame until adding some spice. We're here now in South Korea, and it's a whole different level of heat! We are looking forward to bringing episodes from here to you soon. We so appreciate your comment! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie Great!! ♥ CAN'T WAIT!! Anyway, I was raised on Tasty Cuban food! No hot spices ever!
@@enriquesanchez2001 I had no idea! I naturally assumed Cuban food was spicy! But then again when we were in Mexico I was surprised at how not spicy their food was, either. I've learned something new. Thank you! -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie Ha-ha! Judy, it is a common misconception that all "Spanish" related food is the same! To give you an example, one staple was white rice, with black beans (with green peppers and onions), now the meat could be anything from Palomilla steak which is a thinly cut top sirloin, moist and tender -or- broiled chicken - which is seasoned with some cumin, oregano, and paprika. Salt and pepper it generously., or Bacalao which is codfish that has been salted and dried giving it a unique flavor that is quite different from fresh cod or other white fish. ♥ Topped off with fried sweet, ripe Plantains! These days, I see French Fries added but our Americanized immersion is guilty of that! I never eat like this! I would have to be rolled out the door if I did!
@@enriquesanchez2001 Italy and Portugal also have a culture of eating Bacalao as well. We had some in Lisbon when we visited, but they may also have had their own spin on it. Your food sounds very tasty! And I don't blame you; I would skip the fries, too! I'd love to know the history behind the foods, which always is fascinating and often tied to history and culture. Thank you for sharing this! -Judy
Watched 2episodes and really enjoyed you guys ❤
Thank you so much for watching and for your kind words, Barry. It means a lot to us that you would take the time to leave this comment! -Judy
My first trip to Taiwan was when I was 18 years old. I was enlisted into the army at that time, and was sent to Taiwan for real jungle training. My home country only has a concrete jungle 😃, My 2nd trip to Taiwan happened just a few years ago in more pleasant and enjoyable circumstances. This time, I was with my wife and daughter, instead of with my army sergeants and fellow recruits 😂
You seemed to be more adventurous than me. I ate only in my army camp during my first trip 😀, while I ate mostly in restaurants (eg Michelin-starred casual dining Din Tai Fung - did u try it?) during my 2nd trip. I find the food in Taiwan’s night markets to be very different from the food in my home country (as it should be! ) -- so I couldn’t adjust, hahaha
Thanks for sharing this with us, Mike! I can't imagine how rough jungle training would have been. How nice for you to return under happier circumstances. Someone suggested to us that we try Dian Shui Lu, which was super close to our Airbnb as an alternative to Din Tai Fung. It was very delicious (we include it in our Taipei for First Timer's Guide episode) We tried to get to Din Tai Fung a few times (the one by Taipei 101), but the lines always were too long. We try to taste as much local food as we can because we're likely to get authentic flavors and it's more affordable than some pricey restaurants, but we mostly end up doing a mix. We were late to trying out the night markets or else we would have tried to be even more adventurous. We only went to four of them and only once apiece, but they were worth a little more of our time than we gave them. But make no mistake that there are very few vegetables there, so it's not going to be the healthiest food and we certainly can't afford to eat too much of it! -Judy
Although I can’t take a lot of it at any one time, I learned recently that I do like Wasabi. it definitely opens the sinuses but has a very nice flavor. Reminds me of horseradish which I like. All that said, I am NOT a hot spicy kind of person. A mild kick is fine, but significant heat just takes away the pleasure for me.
BTW, looking forward to experiencing some real French/Alsatian cuisine this coming August in Colmar!
Thanks so much for watching, Rebecca! Fortunately, this wasabi was quite as hot as what we experienced in Japan. And actually in the US horseradish "over 95% of wasabi served in sushi restaurants does not contain any real wasabi. Most fake wasabi is made from a blend of horseradish, mustard flour, cornstarch and green food colorant."
We were talking about Colmar today! We are looking forward to it! -Judy
Hey granny eat more wasabi and more hot stuff in general. It's so addicting, and you get used to it quick.
@Optimusprimerib36 I think some people's palate's aren't made for spicy food. We have a brother-in-law who has what's called a "geographic tongue," which gets irritated with spicy food, so it isn't always something that will get better with more exposure. -Judy
The Shilin market from 2005 was absolutely amazing. It has gone downhill in the past 10 years unfortunately. I miss the original large tent with all the vendors! That was the 'food' night market, and the there was another one in Taipei we called the 'clothes' night market. That was back when Korean jeans were super popular and we'd hunt to find them and bargain with all the vendors. Best times.
What a shame that things changed. What was the Raohe night market like back then? I’d feel a little better if that one was nonexistent and now has become something special. We had thought it was going to be such an incredible market, and we were disappointed to see that it seemed to be a shell of what it had been. Thanks, Allen, for sharing your experiences and for watching our video. -Judy
@@FindingGinaMarie I believe it was called 五分埔 or Wu Fen Pu. Maybe not a traditional night market and more like a clothing area. Don't think a lot of people go there anymore.
How interesting. Thanks so much for sharing that bit of history with us. -Judy
下次可嚐試台灣的冬瓜茶，加冰塊不要太甜，有獨特香氣很好喝
Thanks for the suggestion! We didn't show it, but we asked the stall worker for his recommendation. We would have loved to know to try it in advance. -Judy
The black pepper buns remind me of pasties!
I'm not sure if I know what they are, but these were really tasty. If I weren't already full and they weren't so heavy in our stomachs, I might have liked another one! It was excellent! We saw them at the Silin market as well, but we were too full to get them! -Judy
How many times did you eat at the night markets during your one month stay? How do you learn which foods to sample?
Hi Merrill, We went to one other night market (Ximending) that we didn't include, but otherwise what you saw is the extent of our time at the night markets. Except for the Ningxia one, the other two were farther away. When we can, we try to eat a few more vegetables than what is typically at the night market!
To figure out what to eat, we used a combination of methods. I typically try to research what types of foods in a country are worth sampling and also I do research using blog articles to find additional recommendations. And then we just see what looks interesting! There is a variation of the scallion pancake that includes oysters, but we weren't feeling that ambitious. We would have liked to go back to the Raohe market and sample a little more, but we ran out of time. There definitely were things we wish we would have had time to try, but we didn't visit the night markets until too late in our trip. Also, our stomachs aren't used to eating that much. I had been on a mission to try mango shaved ice but when we found a stall, I was too stuffed to eat it! Thank you so much for watching! -Judy
If you don’t want to do any research, simply try the ones people line up for.😊
@user-um5fm2ev7k In most cases, that's great advice! For food safety reasons as well, typically a busy street vendor means that food is fresh. But sometimes if you haven't done research, you might end up eating something you didn't intend to eat. It can all be part of the adventure, though! -Judy
So yummy food 😋😋👍👍
Thank you so much for watching! Have you seen our First Timer's Guide to Taipei? We had such a great time here! -Judy
🎥 First Timer's Guide to Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Hope you had a chance to eat traditional Taiwanese breakfast. Those are so tasty.
Unfortunately, we did not know where to look! We ended up much of the time at Dreamers Coffee, which was a modern vegetarian cafe. It was very good, but not traditional. 😔 Here's our other video from Taipei if you're interested. -Judy
🎥 Taipei: First Timer's Guide: ruclips.net/video/ZPENQNxbBhU/видео.html
That "pickled thing" is a Japanese condiment radish called daikon.........pronounced as if it was spelled daikohne
Thanks so much for helping us out! I am familiar with them, but for whatever reason they weren't in the top ten for vegetables that I could come up with when we were eating it! -Judy
🎥 Taipei travel series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF0dD-pEyV1oCamZch9sUSpM
Actually, pickled pineapple is a little bit of sweet and sour, Taiwanese usually combine it with chicken rice. Some of my friend will eat it first, then some chicken rice. So it's a way to increase your appetite.
I don't think we have ever needed to "increase" our appetite as Americans! Thanks so much for this information! Here's a link to our other videos from Taiwan if you're interested. -Judy
🎥 First Time in Taipei: ruclips.net/video/rFLfGIIvnWk/видео.html
Are you guys still working on that spicy hot cutlet chicken? 😂
Hi Teddy, that spicy chicken was really delicious-and huge, but Kevin finished it the very same evening! LOL. -Judy
Radish
Thank you so much! -Judy
Welcome To Taiwan
Thank you so much! There was more we could have done in Taipei, but we are so glad to have experienced what we did. We want to visit other parts of the country now, too! -Judy
🎥 Thailand video series: ruclips.net/p/PLNT98lWfwdF3cqPH8_O_WDVYgoT13KJRq