After 20-odd years of living across Asia, I’ve eaten my way through more food tours than I’d care to admit. But it takes something special to make me plan an entire trip around my stomach, and Taiwan did exactly that. Just recently five of us women landed in Taipei with one shared mission: eat everything, and drink a great deal of tea while we were at it.
Biteseeing: the new sightseeing
In This Guide
It turns out we’re not alone. GetYourGuide has a name for travelling to taste rather than to tick off landmarks: Biteseeing. Their new research found that 79% of travellers would travel for regional food, ahead of cultural sightseeing, and 57% would travel for a single ingredient. Food experience bookings on the platform are up 47% year on year, against 16% for cultural sites. Frankly, I could have told them that years ago.
Day one: chasing tea through the hills
We kicked off with a full-day trip out of Taipei, the Daxi Old Street and Tea Factory tour. First up was Xiaowulai’s waterfall, a pretty spot to stretch our legs and, as it turned out, work up an appetite. Just as well, because next came Daxi Old Street, a lovely stretch of century-old shopfronts famous for one thing in particular: dried tofu. Chewy, savoury and sold on sticks, it’s the kind of snack you swear you’ll have just one of, right before buying a bag.
Then came the tea factory, where we learnt how Taiwan’s leaves travel from bush to cup and tasted our way through the results. Taiwanese oolong is smooth, floral and nothing like the teabags in my cupboard. You can book the tour
Day two: a lunchtime feast
The next day we joined A Chef’s Tour’s Formosa Flavours lunchtime food tour, and our guide was fabulous. Think silky xiao long bao, a proper bowl of beef noodle soup and Taiwan’s famous oyster omelette, with the story behind every bite. I won’t give away the stops, because half the joy is the surprise. Just come hungry. Very hungry.
How to Biteseeing your way around Taipei
- Book a tour early in your trip. You’ll know exactly which dishes and stalls to go back for.
- Follow one ingredient. Tea, dried tofu or beef noodles: pick a favourite and chase it.
- Pack comfy shoes and cash. The tea day is around 10 hours with plenty of walking, and many small vendors don’t take cards.
- Browse the options. More Taiwan food and tea experiences on GetYourGuide.
So, what would you travel for?
Taipei has well and truly turned me into a Biteseer. Now I want to know: which dish or ingredient would you cross a border for? Tell me in the comments. I’m always collecting ideas for the next Truly Expat Travel adventure.
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