You can find this popular Taiwanese dessert in night market street stalls or in aesthetic restaurants dedicated specifically to douhua. I’ve recently found a favorite douhua shop that I’ve visited four times in the past week.
Food in Taiwan is deeply connected to both the physical and cultural local environment. Rice, soybeans and pork are all staples in Taiwanese cuisine that come directly from Taiwan, resulting in a flourishing local economy and connection to the environment. Many religions in Taiwan are based around these staples; you can find Daoist and Buddhist temples in almost every city in Taiwan with local gods who bring good weather and fortune for harvests, especially in the southern agricultural provinces. The food here is also connected to history, with foods such as pork floss and fish balls gaining popularity after periods of instability, famine and war, due to the ability of these foods to stay preserved for long periods of time without refrigeration. I’ve been on many cultural and food tours here that have emphasized the significance of each food to Taiwanese people and Taiwanese life, and it’s been so much fun to learn more about the history and culture here through trying new dishes all over Taiwan. I’ve especially enjoyed trying dishes that are highly localized, such as eating daylilies in Southern Hualien where the flowers are grown for tourism, aesthetics and food. To anyone traveling to a new country, I’d encourage you to try as many local dishes as you can, since trying local foods is a great way to connect with a new place and people.
