TAIWAN
Taiwan is a relatively small island but there is a huge variety of food. There were night markets galore, awesome street side dumpling makers, the freshest seafood possible, and the fanciest chinese restaurants I've ever been in. We traveled through bits of Taiwan, visiting Kao Hsiung, Kenting, Taipei, and Hualien.
Night Market Food!
Mommy Lee is pictured above. They took us to the local night market!
You can pick seafood to grill. 
Sweets-I believe there is red bean paste between these guys.
These are little radish cakes. They are slightly doughy and grilled up and savory. You can put soy paste and hot sauce on them. They are served in Dim Sum but usually in big rectangles that are put on a griddle.
The making of street SPRING ROLLS
Here he laying out the FRESH FRESH wrap. It is made of rice and is a bit sticky and chewy.
Those are all the fillings you can add to your spring roll. There are sliced carrots, cucumbers, peanuts, peanut sauce, scrambled flattened egg, scallions, rice, pickled veggies, and sweet sausage.
Chinese Breakfast Food
You TiaoThis is a delicious fried dough that is eaten usually during breakfast with congee or soy milk, and sometimes comes jammed between a 2 pieces of bread.
The you tiao's crunchy texture and smooshy inside are perfect for dipping into bowls of hot soy milk too.
The bread being baked on the right side are Shao Bings, savory sesame layered bread with a nice crunchy outside. To the left are two bowls of soy milk, the one with red sauce is the savory version. You actually just get a bowl (with no sugar added), and add in some vinegar which curdles it and creates a nice tofu-y texture, and add soy sauce and spicy oil as you like. For the sweet kind, just add sugar to the original and wa la!
A you tiao between a sha bing! Yes, like a carb version of the double down! A sandwich made of BREAD!
Chinese Banquet Delights
Chinese tend to serve dinner family style so it is an awesome way to try many many dishes. Having a lazy susan in restaurants is key too!
Fried whole shrimp. The head is still on and it is super friend so you pop it in your mouth with skin on and just chew. Great crunchy outside texture with sweet meat inside. Not good for those with high cholesterol!
Shark Fin Soup.Yes, I know this is bad for the sharks and inhumane. APOLOGIES! We were guests visiting so serving this kind of delicacy shows hospitality.
Chinese Chicken Soup
This stuff is a hundred times better than Campbells! I really believe it has healing properties-see that big piece of ginseng in it? It just tastes so clean and chickeny.
Chinese Sweets
These can range from the shaved ice and red bean cakes seen above, to baked treats and moji, a rice dough treat that I think was adapted from the Japanese.
The workers above are creating these FRESH mochi snacks that help to line this dessert store.
Tai Yang Bings! Sun Cakes. These are very typical of lots of chinese pastries, flaky outside with a bean sweet finish inside. Very delicate and pretty light.
These are more mochi balls. They are different colors because they have been coated with different "dust" to show what they have inside-the black is usually sesame and the brown is peanut. 
These are baked before your eyes. You put a little bit of sweet dough inside each griddle and bake on both sides. They come out hot and with great outside crisp, inside chewy texture.
and of course, tons and tons of the best FRUIT that can grow in this very tropical rainy place.
SEAFOOD TIME
We went to a seafood restaurant in Kenting where you pick your main dish. Everything below is pretty self explanatory-very simple and FRESH.
Sauteed Seaweed
Fish Stew with Tofu
The Lobster-he is humongous!
This fish was seasoned with soy, scallion and ginger and served on top of a flame to keep the dish warm. Almost a tofu like, melting in your mouth texture. Amazing.
Yes-all that yellow stuff is crab eggs. A seafood, slimy, rich tasting goo.
PORK FACTORY
A behind the scenes look!
Sausage mix?
These guys are amazing efficient. Each one does a specific cut and passes on the piece to the next person. Like a dissassembly line.
Kai working hard
The whole pigs are in the background.
Some finished product! I think those are ribs, perfect for making some stwed "Xiao Pai Gu."Din Tai Fong
This dumpling place in Taipei has a cult following and huge lines! It was good . . but I think I'd need to eat a ton more Xiao Long Bao's to be able to determine what makes this place the BEST.
There were a lot of places like this! The sign says "We are deeply sorry but we cannot allow foreign nationals to enter. What is going on in there?!
Beautiful cheery blossoms.
