Do you know Taiwan is the Kingdom of Fruit?丨Eating in Taiwan
Taiwan - dubbed “Kingdom of Fruit” - is much praised for our farmers’ creative and ingenious ways to engineer agricultural technology. In fact, for every month of the year, you can find one kind of fruit (or more) that is in season! From common yet delicious kinds such as banana and strawberries to lesser known types such as custard apple, guava and wax apple, farmers in Taiwan always deliver the best of the best!
When in Taiwan, you will have to throw away your own acquired concept of “fruit”, as our farmers have somehow found ways to orchestrate and genetically modify the plants - to make the fruit bigger, sweeter and of course, better! For example, you might see categorizations of fruit in display, with often extravagant and perplexing names such as “Pearl Guava”, “Peach Pineapple”, “Milk Pineapple”, “Apple Banana”, “Black Queen Grape”, “Black Pearl Wax Apple”, “King Kong Wax Apple”,“Watermelon Plum”, “Belle of the Night Dragon Fruit” and “Jade Pocket Lichee” - all actual labels that local farmers have given to their products to exhibit the unique taste and superior quality compared to others: Don’t they make your head spin and your month drool?
Certainly, Taiwan is named the Kingdom of Fruit not only because of our dedicated and skillful farmers, but also our own gift from nature. While having only little lands, Taiwan is blessed with mountains and hills that see up to 3,952 meters. Additionally, Taiwan’s geographical location between tropical and subtropical climate allows the island (and offshore ones) to enjoy a yearlong production that sustains dry winters, heavy summer rain storms, and typhoons. Because of these natural conditions, Taiwanese farms are capable of growing a wide range of fruit that are cultivated at different levels of temperature and humidity.
In fact, fruit has become a part of our everyday lives in Taiwan, even subconsciously. Whenever you host guests at home in Taiwan, be it relatives or friends, a common way to welcome them is to offer handpicked and cut-up fruit pieces. On the other hand, it is also popular to bring nice packaged fruit in boxes as gifts when visiting someone at the hospital to show your consideration and consolation for the patients’ well-being and health. Lastly, due to our strong farming industry with fruit production, close friend and family relatives might as well be seen to exchange baskets or boxes of high quality fruit with each other on traditional festivals and celebrations. That is to say, fruit is regarded not only as a healthy choice of sweetness for humans, but also respected as offerings for gods and cultural symbols, too.
Taipei Food Tour丨Taste All Kinds of Taiwanese Signature Dish in One Single Tour
Traveling in Taiwan? Why not have a lunch with us!
Through our Food Tour, Like It Formosa takes you to the much celebrated Yongkang Street at Dongmen Station of Taipei, where guests will be shown a glimpse of the Taiwanese gourmet culture that locals take pride in. You are advised to come with an empty stomach, as it will be an afternoon that not only opens your eyes but also challenges your appetite!
For the first stop on our Food Tour, we take you to the hidden traditional market close to Dongmen Station to see - and taste - what is in season. In fact, whatever fruit that you will encounter at the traditional market on our Food Tour would undoubtedly be our best to offer - being naturally grown, genetically selected and finally hand-picked by the farmers and the sellers themselves. However, please do remember this is only the first stop of our Food Tour! Enjoy the fruit, activate your taste-buds but do not get stuffed! More is to come both for our blog and on our tour!
READ MORE: Taipei Food Tour
