Shopping at the Traditional Market

I think I’ve said this before, but the traditional market is one of my favorite places to go.  This is where we buy our fresh pork and all of our vegetables.  I wanted to take a break from talking about restaurants and talk about when we eat at home.   Eric, my son-in-law or Elizabeth cook almost every night.  Most of our meals consist of a protein, lots of vegetables and since this is Asia of course we eat rice. 

I’m kind of fussy about my blood sugar, so I tend not to eat much rice, potatoes or bread.  I break down occasionally and eat baozi (steamed buns filled with pork or cabbage) or Guabao (phonetically gwa bou), called the “Taiwanese Hamburger” consisting of a steamed bun sliced open and stuffed with braised pork, cilantro and peanut powder.

I read an interesting article recently that said if rice is cooked and then refrigerated overnight it doesn’t spike blood sugar as much as when it is cooked and served immediately.  Diabetes is a difficult thing to reduce with just diet.  There are so many different things that internet people say causes diabetes, and have some product to sell, guaranteed to make your blood sugar normalize in a week.  I’m not a diabetic but I’m careful to keep my blood sugar as low as possible, without the use of drugs.

Meanwhile, back at the point, because we cook at home we need to buy vegetables regularly.  We only eat fresh vegetables.  The best place for that is the traditional market.  Most vegetables are locally grown, fresh and organic.  The meat is the same way.  A pig is brought into the market, butchered and sold that day.  Fish are alive in water and killed and cleaned right in front of you.  Chickens and eggs are easily found, fresh and inexpensive.   Beef is usually only available at supermarkets or Costco. It's almost always imported from Australia or New Zealand, because there’s not a lot of room for cattle ranches in Taiwan. 

The government is very careful to make sure certain things that are put into meat in the US are not to be sold in Taiwan.  Therefore, pork and some other meats are not imported from the US.  Food is much healthier here because of the freshness and the lack of chemistry. 

Take a quick trip through the market with me and look at prices.

我想我以前說過這件事，但傳統市場是我最喜歡去的地方之一。我們就是在這裡買新鮮的豬肉和各種蔬菜。
我想稍微跳開餐廳的話題，聊聊我們在家吃飯的時候。

我的女婿 Eric 或是 Elizabeth 幾乎每天晚上都會下廚。我們的餐點通常包含一種蛋白質、大量蔬菜，當然，既然這裡是亞洲，我們一定會吃米飯。
我對血糖比較講究，所以通常不太吃米飯、馬鈴薯或麵包。不過偶爾我還是會破戒，吃個包子（裡面包豬肉或高麗菜的蒸包）或刈包（音近“ㄍㄨㄚˋ ㄅㄛ”，被稱為“台灣漢堡”，是將割開的白色刈包夾入滷豬肉、香菜和花生粉）。

最近我讀到一篇有趣的文章，說如果米飯煮好後放進冰箱冷藏一晚，對血糖的影響會比剛煮好時來得小。糖尿病光靠飲食很難控制。網路上有太多人說各種東西會導致糖尿病，然後推銷他們的產品，保證能在一週內讓血糖恢復正常。我不是糖尿病患者，但我還是很注意控制血糖，盡量不用藥物來維持健康。

話說回來，因為我們在家煮飯，所以需要定期購買蔬菜。我們只吃新鮮的蔬菜，而傳統市場是最好的選擇。大部分的蔬菜都是本地種植的，新鮮又有機。肉類也是一樣的，一頭豬被送到市場當天就現場屠宰並販售。魚類則是活水養殖，當場現殺現處理。雞肉和雞蛋都很容易買到，既新鮮又便宜。

牛肉通常只能在超市或 Costco 找到，因為台灣的牛肉幾乎都是從澳洲或紐西蘭進口的，畢竟台灣的土地不大，沒有太多空間可以養牛。政府對於進口肉品的規範非常嚴格，像美國肉品中含有的某些添加物，在台灣是禁止販售的。因此，台灣不進口美國豬肉等部分肉類。由於這裡的食材新鮮、添加物少，飲食相對來說更健康。

跟我一起快速逛一圈市場，看看價格吧！

 

A cornucopia of fresh vegetables 

Cauliflower 1 head for $1.00 USD and Broccoli 2 for $1.50 USD

Peppers 60 cents each, Spinach 75 cents for 1 Jin (600 grams or 1 1/3 lbs) Scallions 33 cents/bunch

White Cabbage $1.00 USD each, Cabbage $45 cents/600 grams (1 1/3 lbs)

Eggs sold by weight; $1.00 USD per 600 grams, 50 eggs about $4.54 USD (Prices fluctuate)

A Busy Fruit and Vegetable Stand

Shopping at the Traditional Market

Photos by Eric Liu

All Photos and posts property of Taiwan Adventure Publications

Chang Chang Jiu Jiu Taiwanese Stir Fry!

Taiwan is a food destination.  People come here from all over the world to try Taiwanese street food, and other delicacies.  One of those things is Taiwanese stir fry.  Food cooked in a wok at high temperature.  I have had some interesting combinations of stir fry over the years.  For example, I’ve eaten stir fried Century eggs (one of my favorite dishes), “Squid Mouths”, Pig Livers, Squid with Duck Eggs. 

I know that these things are different than what Americans would normally eat, but I’ve always been kind of adventurous when it comes to food.  So, I’m pretty much willing to try almost anything at least once.  I may not like it, but usually, I like the flavor or the spiciness or something.  My daughter’s father-in-law said recently, “we’ll eat anything that flies or crawls.  This is true, more in China than in Taiwan.  In China, insects are considered delicious.  I’ve seen people eat Bamboo Worm and Scorpions on a stick.  Adventure runs deep in my family…but not that deep!  Although, I have eaten fried crickets, but their legs get caught in my teeth so…

Anyway, on Valentine’s Day this year, Elizabeth and Eric took me out to a stir fry place near our home.  It’s called Chang Chang Jiu Jiu (嘗嘗九九).  Back in the day, when I first moved to Taiwan (2009), the restaurant had most dishes for $99 NTD ($3.00 USD), but now I noticed most of the dishes were about $239 NTD ($7.30 USD).  We had a number of dishes.  Rice, Popcorn and Ice Cream were free.

I enjoyed the food, but I don’t want you to think that all I do is eat.  I really mostly enjoy the social aspect of going out with friends and family.  Its always a good time with Elizabeth, Eric, Elle and Eli.  If you’re out and about in Taoyuan District give Chang Chang Jiu Jiu (嘗嘗九九)a try. 

台灣是一個美食天堂。來自世界各地的人們來到這裡品嚐台灣小吃和各種美食。其中一項特色料理就是台式熱炒——用大火快炒的美味佳餚。

多年來，我嘗試過許多有趣的熱炒組合。例如，我吃過炒皮蛋（這是我最喜歡的菜之一）、炒「小卷嘴」、炒豬肝、還有鴨蛋炒魷魚。我知道這些料理對美國人來說可能比較特別，但我向來對食物很有冒險精神，所以幾乎什麼都願意試一次。或許我不會喜歡某道菜，但通常我都能欣賞它的味道、辣度或其他特色。

我女兒的公公最近說：「天上飛的，地上爬的，我們什麼都吃。」這在中國大陸比台灣更普遍。在中國，昆蟲被視為美味，我曾看過有人吃竹蟲和串烤蠍子。我家族的飲食冒險精神很強……但也沒那麼極端！不過，我倒是吃過炸蟋蟀，只是牠們的腿會卡在牙縫裡，所以……

今年情人節，Elizabeth 和 Eric 帶我去家附近的一家熱炒店，叫做「唱唱九九」。回想我剛搬到台灣的時候（2009年），這家餐廳的多數菜色只要99元新台幣（約3美元），但現在我發現大部分菜色已經漲到239元新台幣（約7.30美元）。我們點了好幾道菜，白飯、爆米花和冰淇淋還是免費的！

我很享受美食，但請不要以為我整天只是在吃東西。我其實更享受與家人朋友聚餐的社交時光。每次和 Elizabeth、Eric、Elle 和 Eli 一起外出，總是非常開心。如果你剛好在桃園區，不妨試試「唱唱九九」，說不定會愛上這裡的熱炒！

 

Beef with Onions

Deep Fried Oysters with White Pepper

Pork Cheek with Cabbage

Squid with Ginger and Bay Leaves

Shrimp Cake with Sweet Chii Sauce

Spinach with Mushrooms

Fried Tofu with Duck Eggs

Fried Chicken

Grandpa's Cutest Valentine!

Source:  Taiwan Food Culture:  mstravelsolo.com

Photos by Eric Liu

All Posts and Photos property of Taiwan Adventure Publications

Buying Tea at Fushou Shan Tea Factory

Today, I took some visiting Americans to buy Taiwanese tea at Fushoushan (Good Fortune and Longevity Mountain) Tea Factory.  I think that their tea, all high mountain teas, are generally excellent.  This tea growing family has been in the tea business for six generations in Taiwan.  

My American friends have come to expect to go tea shopping with me, if they come to visit, so I did not want to disappoint them.  Taiwan’s Tea Culture is an excellent way to give people a simple view of Taiwanese culture. 

It is so unlike buying tea in the states.  In the US, you would walk into a supermarket and pick one off the shelf.  You don’t have any knowledge about the tea you’re buying beyond what’s written on the packaging.

When you buy tea in Taiwan, you can sit with a “Tea Master” who will serve you samples of a number of teas.  They will explain whether it was harvested in winter, summer, spring or fall.  They’ll explain the difference between the tea harvests.  For example, the spring harvest is best for Wulong (oolong) Tea.  It has to do with temperature and the way the plants react to changing temperatures. 

White, Green, Wulong and Red (called Black Tea in the US) teas all come from the same plant.  The different classifications are the result of oxidation, processing temperature and other factors.  The Tea Master is an expert in all of this.  They will take a much time as you need to taste and explore the tea. 

They will also pour and serve a variety of teas for you to taste and compare, telling you the differences between the teas you’re tasting. They’re brewed in white cups so you can evaluate the color of the tea.  The teas are served at the proper temperature for that type. Tea flavor can change as the tea cools. 

This isn’t something you do in a hurry.  The process for me, and I’m pretty knowledgeable about tea, can take about an hour.  I usually leave the place pretty well caffeinated. 

It’s a great, fun experience, but really it comes down to buying what tastes best in your opinion.  I usually buy a tea called Dong Ding Wulong.  Some of my friends are not fond of it, because it has a very strong tea flavor.  They prefer lighter, smoother tea flavor.  If everybody liked the same thing it would be pretty boring for tea producers.

今天，我帶了一些來訪的美國朋友到福壽山茶廠購買台灣茶。我認為他們的茶——全都是高山茶——品質非常優良。這個種茶的家族在台灣經營茶葉生意已經六代了。

我的美國朋友們來台灣時，幾乎都期待能和我一起去買茶，所以我不想讓他們失望。台灣的茶文化是一個很好的方式，能讓人簡單地了解台灣文化。

這和在美國買茶完全不同。在美國，你走進超市，直接從架上挑一款茶，對於自己買的茶，除了包裝上的資訊外，幾乎一無所知。

在台灣買茶時，你可以和「茶師」一起坐下來，他們會沖泡多種茶讓你試喝，並解釋這些茶是在哪個季節採收的——冬天、夏天、春天還是秋天。他們還會說明各季節採收的差異，例如春茶最適合烏龍茶，這與氣溫變化及茶樹對環境的反應有關。

白茶、綠茶、烏龍茶和紅茶（美國稱為黑茶）其實都來自同一種茶樹。不同的分類是由於發酵程度、加工溫度等因素決定的。茶師對這些知識都非常精通，並會花時間讓你慢慢品茶、了解茶葉的特性。

他們還會沖泡多款茶供你品嚐和比較，並講解它們之間的不同。茶通常會用白瓷杯沖泡，以便觀察茶湯的顏色。此外，每種茶都有適合的沖泡溫度，茶的風味會隨著冷卻而變化。

這不是一件可以匆忙完成的事。即使我對茶已經算是相當了解了，整個品茶過程大約也要花上一個小時，通常離開時我都已經攝取了不少咖啡因。

這是一個很有趣的體驗，但最終還是要選擇自己最喜歡的口味。我通常會買一款叫做「凍頂烏龍」的茶。不過，有些朋友不太喜歡，因為它的茶味較濃，他們更偏好口感輕柔、順滑的茶。如果大家的口味都一樣，那對茶農來說可就太無趣了！

Fushoshan Tea Factory in Bade

Tea Master Michell Lu

Tea for Individual Sales

Tea for Bulk Sales and Export

Hong Cha - Black Tea

Tea Ovens 

The Only Customer in the Place Older Than Me!

Michell Doing Her Thing

Photos by Crisel Joy Bringula

All Photos and Posts property of Taiwan Adventure Publications

Liang She Han Pork Ribs - 梁社漢排骨

One of my favorite places to eat over here is a restaurant called 八方雲集 (Ba Fang Yun Ji), which is literally translated as “Gather From All Directions.”  People come from all over to eat there, so it is aptly named.  It’s a famous fried dumpling restaurant.  They have recently opened restaurants in Southern California, so if you live in SoCal, you can gather there…from any direction, I guess. 

Eric, Elizabeth, Elle and I decided to walk down to Ba Fang that is pretty near our home, but they were closed, so we went to a small restaurant called 梁社漢排骨 (Liang She Han Pork Ribs).  Liang She Han is some guy’s name.  The Second part is 排骨 pronounced Pai Gu.  When Americans think of Pork Ribs we think of the rib bones.  Pai Gu is really more like a pork chop.

It's a really small restaurant, maybe six tables and owned by the company that owns Ba Fang.  The food is delicious and inexpensive.  For example, my meal consisted of a Pork Chop, Vegetables (Cabbage and Green Beans), Togan (Like tofu but more firm), Meng Bean Noodle, and Turnip/Seaweed Soup all for about $125 NTD ($4.00 USD). 

The atmosphere wasn’t all that great.  Bright lights, tile floors and small tables.  Because of the way my body works and my wheelchair, I need a bit of room.  We had to push two tables together for just four of us.  You order the food and they call you when it’s ready, then you carry a big tray over to your tiny table.  When you’re finished you bus your own table.  With the exception of the table size, this kind of atmosphere isn’t an issue for me, as long as the food is good, and it was delicious.

The Pork was tender and well-seasoned.  The vegetables were cooked but still crisp, as they should be.  The Turnip/Seaweed soup was light and tasty.  I really like Taiwanese style food, especially the soups, and this place didn’t disappoint.

It’s really nice to know that so many inexpensive and good restaurants are within walking distance of our home.  Taiwan is such a convenient place to live!

我最喜歡在這邊用餐的地方之一是一家叫做八方雲集的餐廳，這個名字直譯為「從四面八方匯集而來」。人們從各地前來用餐，所以這個名字真的很貼切。這是一家著名的煎餃餐廳。最近他們在南加州開了分店，所以如果你住在南加州，你也可以從四面八方聚集到那裡用餐。

我、Eric、Elizabeth 和 Elle 決定走到我們家附近的八方雲集，但他們那天休息，所以我們去了另一家叫做梁社漢排骨的小餐廳。「梁社漢」是一個人的名字，後面的「排骨」發音是 Pai Gu。當美國人想到排骨時，通常會想到帶骨的豬肋排，但「排骨」其實更像是豬排。

這是一家很小的餐廳，大概只有六張桌子，是八方雲集的母公司開的。食物美味且價格實惠。例如，我的餐點包含了一塊豬排、蔬菜（高麗菜和四季豆）、豆干（類似豆腐但更硬）、綠豆粉絲，還有蘿蔔海帶湯，全部只要大約125台幣（約4美元）。

氣氛並不是特別好，燈光明亮，地板是瓷磚，桌子也很小。因為我坐輪椅，需要比較大的空間，我們四個人得把兩張桌子併在一起。點餐後他們會叫號，然後你需要把大托盤端到小桌子上用餐。吃完後還要自己收拾桌子。除了桌子太小以外，這樣的用餐環境對我來說沒什麼問題，只要食物好吃就行，而這裡的食物真的很美味。

豬排鮮嫩多汁，調味也剛剛好。蔬菜煮得恰到好處，還保持著脆度，這是我喜歡的口感。蘿蔔海帶湯清淡但很有味道。我真的很喜歡台灣的料理，特別是湯品，這家餐廳完全沒讓我失望。

能知道我們家附近就有這麼多便宜又好吃的餐廳，真的很棒。台灣真的是個生活便利的地方！

 

That's a lot of food on two teeny, tiny tables.

This meal also has noodles and broth with turnips

Eric and Elizabeth doing what they do best.  

All Posts and Photos Property of Taiwan Adventure Publications