(Imaginary) Travel Channel Immersion

Tonight, in my head, I was on the travel channel. My new friend, Carrie, met me at the train station to guide me through a night market. I’ve heard they’re the thing to do in Taiwan, so I had to go at least once. It turns out they all have a bit of a different theme, and she’d never been to this one which is apparently not for fashionable young people, but whatever! It was alot like the night markets you see all over the world. Mostly food vendors, but also alot of household goods, clothing, shoes and jewelry. I don’t think this is a very touristy one though, because we can’t seem to locate anything souvenir-worthy anywhere.

Just like on the Travel Channel, I wandered through this locals market with not another foreigner (a white one, anyway) in sight. The space was a little intimate, and my camera doesn’t capture great night shots, so no pictures here- sorry. People stared despite their best intentions. Minus the Japanese food (like the sushi cart), most of the food was entirely unidentifiable for me. We shared a plate of delicious fresh dumplings (they made them just before steaming them) and I had a bowl of some kind of sweet and sour soup full of an assortment of mushrooms. Carrie said it was too sour, but I thought it was delicious– I’m not very food-picky though. We walked by each and every stall as she explained to me exactly what they were doing and what they were making. Just like on the Travel Channel, I “oohed” and “aaaahed” as we went along. They have something similar to the Skinny Dip frozen yogurt phenomenon that’s becoming popular in the US. There’s an assortment of candy-like (but gelatinous) toppings. There’s a set price for all you can fit into one bowl. This goes into the bottom of a clear plastic bag which the vendors then fill full of shaved ice. I guess it’s probably a little healthier than our frozen yogurt take on this type of buffet-dessert.

Food here tends toward the gelatinous– I’m not sure why. I’m all about the bubble tea though. Giant straw, cold milk tea, and weird candy bubbles at the bottom. We have them in the US in some places, but I’ve never bothered to try it. Delicious. Okay, back to the market. I totally felt like a celebrity as I sampled the cuisine with my very own guide. I could get used to this life…

Half of the assortment of dishes served for lunch

Speaking of food, I’ll give you a sampling of some of the stranger things I’ve eaten since I’ve been here:
intensely boiled pig tendons (gelatinous), intensely cooked sea cucumber (not a vegetable, as you know, and thankfully gelatinous– the last time I had it in Japan it was intolerably chewy), unidentified fish parts (not gelatinous, but not fish flesh either), unidentified clear gelatinous strips (savory, not sweet), and some kind of sautéd flower buds. Yup, I’ve eaten all of it. Don’t worry, the flavoring of everything is so good here, I can bear the texture for a bit. I am curious though why so many foods coming in gelatinous textures here…More food adventures and a city tour sponsored by the government tomorrow!