Night market nervousness? Three easy snacks to order
What to try first when the crowds and choices feel overwhelming
Taiwanese night markets are an essential cultural experience, bringing together street food, games — think pinball, goldfish scooping, darts, and ring toss stalls — along with a vibrant atmosphere.
Taiwan has 164 officially-listed night markets, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, but the real number is likely higher.
In Taipei, Shilin Night Market is the largest, while Raohe Night Market and Ningxia Night Market are among the most popular with visitors. Expect heavy crowds, especially on weekends.
All sorts of Taiwanese dishes are on offer, including the more unusual and slightly overwhelming — stinky tofu, pig's blood rice cake, chicken feet, and pig intestine soup, to name a few.
For those wanting a gentle introduction to Taiwan's night market world but are unsure where to start, we recommend giving these three snacks a try.
#1: Egg Pancake
A crispy Taiwanese breakfast classic, served day and night
Egg pancake (蛋餅, dàn bǐng) is a Taiwanese breakfast staple, but it works just as well as a lighter night market snack.
At Xiao Wangzai Yilan Danbing in Ningxia Night Market, the pancake we tried was made with cheese, eggs, and green onions from Yilan County — the area is famous for them. Other flavors include mushroom and egg, cabbage and egg, with add-ons like bacon or ham for those wanting something more filling.
The line can take a while, but that's how you know it's good. After eventually getting our pancake, we were impressed by how crispy and tasty it was.
For anyone easing into Taiwanese food, or avoiding meat but still wanting something satisfying, the humble egg pancake is a safe place to start.
#2: Sweet Potato Balls
Golden, bouncy, and hard to stop eating
Taiwanese sweet potato balls (地瓜球, dì guā qiú) are a popular night market choice. They’re crisp on the outside, chewy inside, with a light, bouncy texture, and are great to snack on as you wander past stall after stall.
They’re made by frying a mix of mashed sweet potatoes and sweet potato flour in large woks. Vendors use special tools to press the balls as they cook, pushing out air and creating their signature hollow center, according to the Taipei City Government’s tourism website.
The result is something close to a mini donut. Crisp shell, soft middle, served hot. Some batches come in orange and purple, though the flavor is usually the same.
We had a generous portion at Ningxia Night Market, where you’ll find multiple stalls selling them. They’re a good place to start if you’re not feeling adventurous about some of the more unfamiliar options on offer.
#3: Chicken Cutlet
Crispy and oversized with customizable spice levels
Taiwanese fried chicken cutlets (雞排, jī pái) are a snack commonly found in night markets. The chicken is butterflied before being marinated and deep-fried. You then choose your spice level.
The result is essentially a huge chicken nugget (with bones) that is super crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle.
At Ningxia Night Market in April, cutlets were being sold at multiple stalls for around NT$100. Most are boneless, but some do still contain some bone.
Reminiscent of fried chicken available all over the world, they're a great start for those not quite ready to tackle chicken butt, neck, feet, or heart.
