Tainan - a trip of warm friendship and delicious treats!

An afternoon in Tainan

1. 台南神農街陳家古厝 2018
Former workshop relocated down the road in 2016

 

2. This bag has a Tainan history: Traditionally made from 茳芏 (Cyperus malaccensis)
Also known as 台客袋 (Tai Ke carrier)

3. Almond Tea (not made from almond, but apricot kernel)

Page 66 "A Culinary History of Taipei": Before the arrival of Chiang Kai-shek and his followers, Taiwanese tended to eat crullers with xingren cha,, not soy milk...

The old fashion xingren cha-cruller combination is said to be a favourite of Lee Teng-hui. 

And at breakfast with Steven Crook - first met-up after the publication of our joint book in October!
We both had xingren cha-cruller combination ! 

4. with CT Lin - whom I acquainted with 3 years ago through a Chingchuan Father Barry roof-project.
The team met up and enjoyed a good catch-up in Tainan.

5. ONLY IN TAINAN is the 香餅 Fragrant Cake - A 'blow‘ cake.
Cake shell filled with brown sugar syrup. Pan fried in sesame oil and egg is a Tainan speciality.

Page 94-95 "A Culinary History of Taipei": SITTING OUT THE MONTH: ...other indispensable elements of the post-partum diet are black sesame oil... and the definitive zuo yue zi dish is native chicken with sesame oil. 

The fragrance is the sesame oil. 

6. Dumpling Knots (麵疙瘩) mian geda

Other names include cat’s ears 貓耳朵 .

Robyn Eckhardt in this post describes and includes a Sichuan variation recipe. https://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2011/04/dumpling-knots.html

Interestingly, my impression of mian geda in Taiwan seems strongly related to Hakka - not surprised, as Hakka are known in Taiwan master of dough making (for its Q-ness) - most significantly of course rice snacks of all kinds. And the 'Hakka's shape' strongly reminds me of what I observed in a Hakka home kitchen:

Page 76 "A Culinary History of Taipei"  ..... ngiu vun sui "Cattle battle in water", like ciba, it is a variation on mochi. .... Like all Hakka rice cakes, making them involves repeated kneading, but that is what gives this category of food their distinctive and delightful Q-ness. 

Hsinchu. Hakka home kitchen.

7. 破布子 (shabby rags). Cordia dichotoma (sometimes called fragrant manjack)
Strong indigenous-link diet

Page 17-18 FORAGED FOODS "A Culinary History of Taipei":  ...Archaeologists think cordia was consumed in quantity by the Siraya at least six hundred years ago,...."

Today, usually seen pickled and sold in jars. This is the first time I have seen it in like 'tofu block', not only the shape, but also touch-soft like tofu. Both friends from Chiayi and Yunlin told me, this pea tofu is made simply by boiled with SALT and water. Salt effectively binds the pea stew and forms a 'cake'. How to eat: pan fried in a small amount of oil, toss in basil. Seasoned to preference. Served with bowl of steamed rice. This is totally unheard of for me - a Taipei city girl!

8.  Hot Candied Sweet Potato&Taro 'Toffee'd ' in iced water.
The proper way to eat.

9. You get 'Hello Kitty' print fish cake in Taipei. Not seen it in Tainan - yet!

10. Red Tortoise (Ang-ku) Slice. Not to mix-up with Red Tortoise Cake.
These traditional Taiwanese cake slice/bar often include a quintessential Taiwanese flavouring 'Banana oil'

Page 65 "A Culinary History of Taipei": ...flavored with  "banana oil", an artificial product that contained no bananas but had a banana-like smell, which Japanese gourmands considered quintessentially Taiwanese.

11. The vendor was keen to introduce and promote this peanut -
EAT RAW, and it's sweet, crunchy and fresh! She says grow 'by the river'.
Tainan's peanut is the best in Taiwan.

12. Delicious, teeth-friendly Tainan sugar canes! 

Sugarcane for cooking is mentioned in several pages between 101-121. Down the South it was used in cooking to flavour and as substitute of salt and MSG. Some said explains Tainan cooking tend to be sweet, sometimes too sweet - for this historical reason.

13. The rooster blows the red trumpet 3 times a day at 13:00 16:00 21:00

14. Reckon converted from an old eye-clinic?

15. Behind is the famous sacred tree - 榕松公. as tall as a 7-floor apartment building.

16. Entering Food Haven

17. Wa Gui (碗粿) - Traditional Rice Porridge
Best known in Madou 麻豆, outside Tainan.

Generous, satisfying portion of fillings - pork, shrimp etc. And fortunately the sauce not too sweet - which I admit was dreading. The interesting thing is this 'wa gui fork' that I didn't notice in Taipei looks a cross between butter knife and fish fork. Don't know if it has a 'proper name'?

18. Tainan Must try - Oyster fritter. I myself only see it in Tainan.

19. Tainan Must-try 土鲀魚羹
Spanish Mackerel Noodle Soup

Cathy Erway in her wonderful The Food of Taiwan has a recipe for this iconic Tainan (Southern Taiwan) fish soup. 

FINALLY - this is why we swing by this road! By Steven's recommendation : Xiu'an Douhua

My friend Sophie (whose father used to run douhua stall in Chiayi where she helped out after school in her childhood) approved the 'yoke bean jelly' in both quality and varieties.

We have - sweet potato and taro in traditional ginger and brown sugar syrup; Signature brown sugar jelly douhua in milk; brown sugar jelly ball in lemon juice. All very nice and satisfying. 

A short-and-sweet wonderful trip of warm friendship and delicious treats - 
One can never have enough! 💓