Cultural Diet: Taiwanese Snacks!! 台湾点心 （Tái wān diǎn xīn）Part II

Welcome to Part II of Taiwanese snacks!

Are you ready? Let’s start with one of my favorites…

1) Sachima 沙琪玛 (shāqímǎ)

沙琪玛 is kind of like the Taiwanese version of the American Rice Krispie Treats. It consists of delicious fried strands of batter (like funnel cake) with sugar syrup shaped into a thick layer, which is then cut into rectangular blocks. While the Rice Krispie Treats have more of a marshmallow-y flavor, Sachima does not, and instead may contain raisins, nuts, and sesame seeds. It’s sweet, it’s sticky, and above all, it’s the absolute best treat to satisfy your cravings!

2) Good Good Eat (GGE) Wheat Crackers 张君雅小妹妹 (zhāng jūn yǎ xiǎo mèi mei)

GGE Wheat Crackers, or 张君雅小妹妹 (literally, “Little Sister Zhang Jun Ya” I don’t know why ), is a salty snack comprised of uncooked ramen flavored with soy sauce, seaweed, BBQ, etc. The snack may come in single strands of noodles, thick wavy chips, or circular bunches of noodles!

3) 糖葫芦 (táng hú lu)

糖葫芦 is a “shish kebab” of candied fruit. The first time I ever tasted these was on the streets of Flushing, where a vendor was selling them, and I have been craving them ever since! Much like caramel apples, these fruits are coated with a delightfully sweet sugar coating, which gives the fruit a beautiful gleaming appearance. Traditionally, the Chinese fruit hawthorn (山楂 shān zhā) is used, but nowadays, strawberries (草莓 cǎo méi), cherry tomatoes (樱桃西红柿 yīng táo xī hóng shì), grapes (葡萄 pú táo), bananas (香蕉 xiāng jiāo), and even kiwis (猕猴桃 mí hóu táo) are used!

4) Confectionery Candy with Peanuts (台湾花生糖 tái wān huā shēng táng)

For those of you who are familiar with the American peanut brittle, 台湾花生糖 is basically the same thing, but it’s thicker and  consists of more peanuts than any other ingredient. Not too hard that it will break your teeth, the Taiwanese peanut brittle, coated with sesame seeds is just crunchy and sticky enough for anyone to enjoy! (Well, you know, except for those who are allergic to peanuts…) If you are allergic, don’t worry — there are a bunch of other snacks in this series of Cultural Diet articles for you to feast on!

5)台湾义美蛋卷 (Tái wān yì měi dàn juǎn) Taiwanese Egg Rolls

I-Mei Egg Rolls aren’t the egg/spring rolls you find in Chinese restaurants and dip in sweet and sour sauce; these egg rolls are flaky, light crackers shaped like thick straws that come in flavors like butter, sesame, and caramel pudding.

There you have it: five more snacks to add to your bucket list of things to eat ASAP. Stay tuned for Part III of the Cultural Diet: Taiwanese Snack series!!

Click here to visit Part I of the series.