The List

With the prospect of returning to a town where you once lived--slowly memories rise up and break on the surface of your mind.  As I look to return to Taiwan for two weeks--to Chiayi, where I lived for four years--similarly memories keep popping up, out of the blue.  Overwhelmingly, they are memories of food.  So, on scraps of paper about the house, I have started writing down items that I look forward to eating.  Some are traditional dishes that are common to many people's experience with Taiwanese cuisine, while other dishes are to a particular street, a particular vendor where I would most often frequent.  Some dishes are just plain amazingly delicious--and some are simply steeped in the sauce of nostalgia.  In any case, I'm challenging myself to remember, eat, and document as many as possible!

The list, thus far:

臭豆腐 chou dou-fu (lit. stinky "bean-decay") : Stinky Tofu

洋蔥沙拉 yang-cong sha-la (lit. "foreign-scallion" sha-la) : Onion Salad

火雞肉飯 huo ji rou fan (lit. "fire-chicken-meat" rice) : Turkey Rice

豬血糕 zhu xue gao (lit. pig blood cake) : Pig's Blood Cake

小籠包 xiao long bao (lit. small basket bun) : (a type of steamed dumplings!)

烤鴨 kao ya (lit. roast duck) : Roasted Duck

滷味 lu wei (lit. a stew in soy sauce and spices, flavor) : Lu Wei!  

麵線 mian xian (lit. noodle line) : Thin Noodles
刈包 gua bao (lit. ??? bun) : Taiwanese Hamburger

(刈包 gua bao : Taiwanese Hamburger)

That's it for now, but I'll be sure to add more.  Also, coming soon, a list of all the yummy drinks!