If it happens that you are a vegan/vegetarian and in Taichung, it might be a bit difficult to find snacks and foods to eat. But don’t worry – I got some great examples of what to buy listed below.

What snacks to try

Snacks can be found everywhere, but vegan and vegetarian snacks can be a bit more challenging to find. One great snack is the steamed buns. These are a really easy to eat on the go or save for later. This particular place is located near T-life Hostel and is open until 22:30 every day. You can ask for an English menu like the one on the picture.

Another snack to try is mochi. These snacks are light to carry and easy to eat. You can get them in almost every flavour, but the most popular are peanut butter, red bean and black sesame. They are freshly made at the night market just by the hostel. you can get one mochi for 10.

If you are looking for a bit more filling snack, you should try the candied sweet potatoes. They fill you up and are easy to carry. You can’t find it on every night market, but there is one stall on the Fengjia night market. If you want the healthy option, you should go for the baked sweet potato in 7/11.

A snack I have never seen before, and highly recommend you try, is a steamed almond flour cake with peanut filling. So far, I have only seen them one place in Taiwan; at the Taiwan park. You should get the pack with 6 pieces.

One cake, that Taiwan is famous for, is the pineapple cake. They are usually round or square shaped. They are sold almost everywhere, but one place I recommend a place called Miyahara. It is a really beautiful cake shop where you can get afternoon tea for only 380 TWD. (The pineapple cake is the one to the left)

Drinks you have to try

I think the most popular drink in Taiwan has to be bubble tea. You might have seen it before; a white milk drink with dark bubbles at the bottom. If you are vegetarian is it no problem to find this drink as it is made with cow milk. If you’re vegan, you might have to look a bit harder. We have found two places that offers bubble tea made with soy milk. One of the places is even the original bubble tea. The original shop is called Chun Shui Tang. They offer the original flavour with soy milk.

Another drink to try is the oolong tea. You can get this special tea in almost every tea shop, and you can try it at a tea ceremony. If you are a tea lover, this kind is a must for your collection.

Foods to try

If you are past the snacking face and a bit more hungry, you want to opt for a bigger meal. Even though the Taiwanese people love their meat, Taichung houses a lot of vegetarian restaurants.

One is actually located near the hostel. You just have to cross the big road with the bus stops and keep walking on the right side of the road. Then you will eventually meet the restaurant called C1 Vegetarian Diet. You just have to ask for the English menu, and then you have so many options. The portions are big and the prices are reasonable. You just have to ask for the English menu.

If you have never tried stinky tofu, Taiwan is the place to get it. Every night market has several stalls offering this fermented deep fried tofu with some kind of spicy sauce on it. If you have tried it before, I recommend you go to the best fried tofu place in Taichung. It has been in business for over 40 years, and that is for a reason.

Another food you just have to try is hot pot. The dish is one pot filled with fresh vegetables and water. The. You cook it slowly and pour in your own sauce mixture for flavouring. There is a really great place just by the hostel. You can get the vegetarian hot pot for around 150 TWD and get complementary drinks, rice and vegan ice cream!

If you go to the Fengjia Night Market, then you can try the sushi roll. It’s only 40 TWD and you get so much food for the money. Again, you just have to show them on a piece of paper or a photo what you don’t eat, and then they will make it for you. You can get it with white rice or you can try the purple rice.

 

So it’s not that difficult to find some delicious vegetarian or vegan food in Taiwan, as long as you know what to look for.