Skye HsiaoWhen it comes to buying souvenirs in Taiwan, travellers tend to hit the touristy souvenir shops or shopping malls. But what if I told you that most typical Taiwanese souvenirs can be found in any local supermarket? Supermarkets such as Wellcome and Px Mart can be found everywhere and they are the best locations for souvenir-hunting on a budget.
In fact, before I travel out of Taiwan, I always do a quick trip to the supermarket and I’d buy half-a-suitcase worth of authentic Taiwanese snacks to give out to new friends. Let me share with you some of the best Taiwanese souvenirs to buy.
1. Tea leaves
Image credit: 胤李
Taiwan is well-known for its tea plantations, and while there’s a huge range of tea leaves to choose from, Alishan tea is a flavour that you simply cannot miss! It’s an oolong tea with a light orchid aroma and slight hints of fruits – everyone loves it. One of the most famous and trusted brands is Ten Ren Tea which you will be able to find it in any supermarket.
2. Instant noodles
Image credit: Chia Ying Yang
There is no way you can leave Taiwan without bringing a few packs of instant noodles with you. They are cheap, convenient, delicious and come in a wide variety of flavours. The most popular flavours among Taiwanese people are ZYM (Tongyi) Beef Flavoured Noodles, Wei Lih Men and TTL (Tai Jiu) Hua Tiao Chicken Noodles.
3. Pineapple cakes
Image credit: SunnyHills
Image credit: SunnyHills
Of course, you’ve probably heard about our famous pineapple cake a hundred times already, and yes, it is still among the best souvenirs to buy in Taiwan. It never fails as a gift to friends and the cake works wonders with a nice pot of Chinese tea. Two brands that you can look for are SunnyHills and Chia Te Bakery.
4. Taiwanese nougats
Image credit: Sugar & Spice 糖村
Taiwanese nougat is a traditional candy with peanuts. The texture ranges from soft to chewy to almost crunchy. Every store has their own secret recipe for delicious nougat and they’d always try to come up with all kinds of (odd) flavours to impress customers; I’ve tried a strawberry cheesecake nougat once, how about that! Definitely go with nougats from Sugar & Spice – they make the best nougats with traditional flavours.
5. Dried shredded squid
Image credit: 新東陽
Being one of the most popular snacks among Taiwanese people, dried shredded squid can be found hidden somewhere in every local family’s living room. These chewy shreds are usually flavoured with either sugar or spices, and you can find them either in supermarkets or convenience stores.
6. Crispy pork paper
Image credit: 江記
As weird as the name sounds, this is absolutely delicious. Just think of it as paper-thin potato chips made of pork! it’s super crunchy and so addictive, you can easily go through a whole bag without even noticing. The best brands to look for are Kuai Che, Pork King and Two Brothers.
7. Imei mini puffs
Image credit: news.ebc.net.tw
This is hands down my favourite snack ever, and I’m not even that into snacks! It tastes like a cream puff but with a slightly crispier crust. They come in several flavours but my personal favourites are the chocolate and milk ones, so make sure you give those a try.
