Taiwan– category –
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Notes on Du Xiao Yue and Danzi Noodles in Taiwan
A Street with Red Lanterns Walking through the center of Tainan, I notice red lanterns hanging along a street lined with old buildings. They do not insist on attention.They stand slightly straighter than the others. White walls. Wooden d... -
Notes on Tainan’s Danzi Noodles
A Small Bowl Born from Subtraction Danzi noodles known locally as danzai mian, are served in a small bowl. Thin noodles.A modest spoonful of minced pork.A single shrimp. The clear broth is not made from pork bones, but from shrimp heads.... -
Notes on Making Pork Meatballs in Hsinchu, Taiwan
Wind from the City and Flecks of Black Pork meatball soup, known as gongwan tang, appears early in Hsinchu.It sits beside rice noodles on menus near Chenghuang Temple. This pairing is often explained as a set for visitors.But the connect... -
Notes on the Birth of Kaohsiung’s 85 Sky Tower
1997, When the Tower Still Meant Hope In the mid-1990s, Kaohsiung felt heavier than it does now.The air was dense. The heat stayed. The port ranked third in the world for container throughput.Ships lined up offshore.Smoke rose day and ni... -
Notes on the Long Road to Reviving Kaohsiung’s 85 Sky Tower
A tower that pierces the clouds, or a monument to the city’s past The tower can be seen from almost anywhere in Kaohsiung.It is said to have been designed in the shape of the character for “high.” The 85 Sky Tower once claimed the title ... -
Notes on the Decline of Kaohsiung’s 85 Sky Tower
a high-rise left behind by the end of a bubble When I walk through Kaohsiung, a large shadow sometimes slides into the edge of my view.When I turn, the 85 Sky Tower is there. It once held the title of the tallest building in Taiwan.It wa... -
Notes on Scallion Pancake and Egg Crêpe in Taiwan
A quiet divide between flour, egg, and morning The Taiwanese scallion pancake, cong you bing, and the egg crêpe, dan bing, appear side by side on many breakfast menus. Both use wheat flour.Both include eggs.Both are scattered with choppe... -
Notes on Scallion Pancakes and Flaky Scallion Flatbreads in Taiwan
Two textures shaped by the same dough Scallion pancakes, known locally as cong you bing and cong zhua bing, appear side by side at many Taiwanese street stalls. They look similar at first.Both begin with wheat dough, chopped scallions, a... -
Notes on Taiwanese Scallion Pancakes
The sound of the griddle Scallion pancake, known locally as cong you bing, is made from flour, water, scallions, salt, and oil. On street corners in Taiwan, a steady sound carries across the pavement.A metal spatula strikes the dough.Pan... -
Notes on Why Drink Shops Fill the Streets of Taipei
A corner after another I notice a drink shop at every turn. Red.Green.Yellow. The signs are different, but the places are similar. A ground-floor space facing the sidewalk.A sliding door, or a half-open shutter.One or two people standing...
