Taiwan’s unique culinary traditions make tasty waves in an episode of the new #Netflix series Street Food, skipping the usual #Taiwanese tropes of night markets and stinky tofu for the lesser-known city of Chiayi.
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All articles filed in Joshua Samuel Brown
Taiwan Scene Editor in Chief: Joshua Samuel Brown (AKA Josambro) is the author of Vignettes of Taiwan and co-author of Formosa Moon (ThingsAsian Press). He’s co-authored thirteen Lonely Planet guides, including two editions of Lonely Planet Taiwan, and has written articles from Taiwan, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Belize, America, Norway and more for publications around the globe since 1997.
Breakfast in Taipei: Start Your Day Like a Local!
If you’re visiting Taipei, there’s no better (or culturally appropriate) way to start your day than with a traditional Taiwanese breakfast. First-time visitors to Taipei are often amazed at the breadth and depth of what’s available for breakfast on the streets of Taipei (not to mention how early breakfast joints start opening – the Taiwanese tend to rise early).
Some traditional Taiwanese breakfast items have western counterparts, while others will be familiar to anyone who’s traveled in China, Japan or Korea. But a few items are definitely uniquely Taiwanese. In this article, we’ll be looking at a few dishes that Taipei people eat in the mornings and suggesting a few spots for visitors to find them during their early-morning journeys around Taipei.
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Hiking through Taiwan’s great outdoors: A Long Walk On the Old DanLan Trail
Taiwan Scene’s Editor-in-Chief spends the day hiking on a historic trail connecting Taipei City and Yilan, getting out of the city and exploring Taiwan’s natural outdoor beauty.
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Honoring Children’s Day in Taiwan, Taroko Gorge to be Child-Proofed
April 1, 2019: Citing concerns that not enough is being done to encourage families with small children to experience the majesty of Taiwan’s most famous scenic area, Taiwan’s Ministry of Unspecified Services has announced joint plans with local authorities to Child-Proof Taroko Gorge for this year’s Children’s Day Festival. On April 4th, 2019, Nineteen kilometers of the famous gorge stretching from the Taroko Park Visitor’s Center westward past the village of Tienxiang will be filled with approximately fifteen trillion colorful plastic balls, turning the most visited stretch of Taiwan’s most beloved scenic area into a child-friendly ball pit.
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Taiwan or Thailand? A Mostly-Objective Travel Comparison
Answering the following questions:
How are Taiwan and Thailand different? How are they similar? Which place is better for what kinds of travel?
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Literature Is Alive and Well in Taiwan!
Though it’s become fashionable to declare the death of print media, visitors to this year’s Taipei International Book Exhibition would probably disagree with the sentiment. According to Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, 580,000 people attended the 2019 event, which ran from February twelfth through the seventeenth. It’s an impressive number, but not totally shocking. Taiwan is…
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In Defense of Andrew Zimmern
While Zimmern could have chosen his words (for which he’s apologized publicly) more carefully, taken in the context of the overall conversation it’s clear none of his comments were meant to disparage Chinese cuisine in America, or Chinese-Americans (in or out of the food industry). Zimmern’s respect for culinary culture and the people who work in the food industry is well-documented. As a journalist who has spent most of his adult life living in Taiwan and China and promoting their shared culinary and cultural heritage, I believe the social-media uproar over his comments are quite unjustified, and that his knee-jerk demotion should be overturned.
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7 Taipei Eateries Beloved by Homesick Western Expats
Where to get western food in Taipei, suggested by Taiwan Scene and the Taipei expat community.
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Ringing in Taiwan’s Hot Spring Season in Guanziling, Tainan
With the weather finally cooling, we headed down to the hot spring town of Guanziling, famous for its fresh air, muddy hot springs and excellent coffee.
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Goats and Gas Masks at Taiwan’s Hell Kitchen
Taiwan Scene Editor in Chief accompanies German TV company Maximus to Uncle Sheep Restaurant in Chiayi to watch it’s own make the world’s best goat hot pot!
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