Cheap Vegan Street Food in Taiwan: What to Eat and Where to Find It
Taiwan’s night markets are easy to navigate and full of amazing treats for the eyes, nose and taste buds
These markets are quintessentially Taiwanese and part of daily (nightly) life for many local communities.
They are an experience not to miss, and the best way to mingle with the people of the island and sample Taiwan's unique cultural legacy built around the traditions born from the hustle and bustle of its night markets
Here’s our pick of the best Vegan Street Food to discover in Taiwan:
SWEET POTATO BALLS
The unmissable soft sweet potato balls are perhaps Taiwan’s most renown street market treat. With their signature “super QQ texture” (meaning - soft, not mush) - these delightful little treats are served hot, coated in sesame seeds.
They are sweet, chewy and surprisingly hollow in the middle. Reputable stalls serving these sometimes have huge queues, but if you don’t fancy waiting there are plenty of other (less popular) sellers in every street market.
GUA BAO
Guà bāo is essentially a Taiwanese burger, and is a very popular affordable street dish found in every night market.
Ordinarily, the soft bun is filled with meat, but we found plenty of vegan alternatives sering tofu, tempeh and mock meats, along with pickled greens, cilantro, peanuts and a hint of sugar for a touch of sweetness. Delicious!
SCALLION PANCAKES
Like a lot of Taiwanese cuisine, Scallion Pancakes are fairly simple - flat-bread crafted from dough and infused with green onions.
These delicious pancakes are made by rolling the fresh dough into a ball with the ingredients, then flattening before frying it in oil. You can also often pick these up during the day for a wholesome cheap breakfast.
STEAMED BUNS
Called “baozi dough”, they are made from simple ingredients such as flour, water, yeast and sometimes a little sugar for sweetener.
The filling for baozi can vary according to different tastes and preferences. The standard non-vegan varieties include meat, with vegetables and mushrooms. Vegetarian and vegan versions are often filled with mixed vegetables, tofu and bamboo shoots.
MOCHI
The famous Japanese rice cake gets the street market treatment. Served as small smudgy dumplings with fillings such as red bean paste or peanut butter.
Mochi is unbelievably more-ish, sticky, chewy and more filling than they look because of the high gluten content.
GRILLED MOCHI
Heating mochi over a grill transforms the little dumpy treat into a guilty (almost naughty) pleasure. The open flame turns the outer layer a crispy golden brown, contrasting the gooey interior. Fried mochi comes in a variety of non-vegan flavours, including rich condensed milk, and chocolate toppings. Check with the stall owner to be sure, but peanut, red bean paste, and matcha varieties are generally vegan.
STINKY TOFU
The famous Taiwanese stinky tofu (known as “Chou Doufu” in Mandarin) is a unique street food that holds a special place in Taiwan’s culinary scenes.
It really is as stinky as the name suggests, but crucially doesn’t taste as bad as it smells! Stinky Tofu certainly isn’t for everybody, and certainly divided us at Eat Plants and Travel (see page 48).
KOREAN STYLE SEAWEED RICE ROLLS
Like a cross between a burrito and a big giant delicious sushi roll (without the fish).
Served with purple or white seasoned rice with colorful local vegetables, wrapped in fried seaweed (nori) which is then tightly folded to form a cylinder that is compact.
Vegan options include mock meats and sweet vegetables, tofu, kimchi bamboo shoots & mushrooms, or our most favourite - burdock
