讀後心得

Taiwanese cuisine is renowned far and wide, with its night markets and street food culture making it a kingdom of food. In 2015, Taiwan won first place in CNN's global food destination ranking, highlighting its extraordinary culinary appeal. In addition to xiaolongbao, fried chicken, and bubble tea, Taiwan offers many unique snacks. According to an analysis by "Internet Temperature Meter," 10 ultra-rare local specialties are introduced, such as Taichung's big noodle soup, baked pear with white jade, and Yilan's cake scraps, attracting numerous food enthusiasts to try them.

Taiwan's cuisine enjoys a great reputation internationally, and the night market and street food culture firmly establishes Taiwan as a representative of the food kingdom. In 2015, Taiwan achieved an impressive result of 8,242 votes in CNN's global food destination ranking, far exceeding the Philippines, which came in second with 1,528 votes. Taiwan's culinary variety is vast; besides well-known representative foods like soup dumplings, fried chicken, and bubble tea, there are many local snacks, some of which are relatively rare. Through public sentiment analysis software, a survey revealed the top ten unique foods in Taiwan that are seldom seen, including the Taichung-specialty big noodle soup, barley, the Yilan snack cake scraps, and braised pork, along with the recently popular baked pear in Taichung. Come and see how many of these you have tried!

• No.10 Pig Head Rice: This classic local snack from Tainan's Yan Shui is loved for its high calories and affordable price. The preparation involves simmering a pig's head to make broth, which is then cooked with rice, allowing each grain to absorb the essence of the pig's head, resulting in a yellowish, soft pig head rice, which has become a breakfast favorite for many.

• No.9 Baked Pear: This dessert specifically treats persistent coughs and rapidly gained popularity at Taichung night market last year. It is made by stewing a whole pear with rock sugar, goji berries, red dates, and silver ear fungus, and then baking it. The fragrant broth complements the tender and crisp texture of the baked pear, attracting many food lovers to queue for it.

• No.8 "Communist" Cake: This half-fried, half-grilled snack was created by a new resident boss lady, and the shop is named after it. This cake comes in both savory and sweet flavors, with the savory version wrapped in cabbage and other ingredients, while the sweet version is presented in a pancake form, making it a favorite among locals.

• No.7 Braised Pork: Known as a famous snack in Yilan, its name derives from the local Taiwanese word for "deep-fried." Braised pork uses tender pork loin fried to a golden crisp; the outer layer is crunchy while the inside is juicy and tender, commonly found on the streets and night markets, and is a must-try delicacy.

• No.6 Beef Flavored Rice: This is a traditional Hakka specialty snack that resembles a glutinous rice cake, named for its appearance that reminds people of cattle playing in water. Beef flavored rice has a chewy texture, usually served with brown sugar ginger syrup, peanuts, and sesame, and is a must-try delicacy in old streets.

• No.5 Water Smooth Rice Cake: This unique snack from Hsinchu is an improved version of the Qing Guang cake, made with soft dough that is easy to eat, becoming a distinctive gift for worshipping gods, widely praised.

• No.4 Cake Scraps: Another famous snack from Yilan, cake scraps are made from minced meat mixed with broth, cooled, and then fried, creating a golden and crispy shell with juicy and tender filling, offering a unique flavor.

• No.3 Big Noodle Soup: This traditional snack unique to the Taichung area features thicker noodles with a smooth texture. After several decades of evolution, this dish has now become a representative delicacy recommended by the Michelin Guide.

• No.2 Barley: This is one of the specialties of Taichung, made from the wisdom of early farmers as a soup, characterized by its green color and thick texture, becoming a classic nostalgic delicacy in the area.

• No.1 Rice Noodle: The representative rice noodle from Taoyuan ranked first in this survey, with a unique preparation method and a smooth texture, rich in rice flavor, greatly loved by food enthusiasts.