Stinky tofu 臭豆腐
Fermented tofu, most often deep-fried and served with pickled cabbage, or simmered in a spicy mala broth with duck blood. The smell carries down the street; the taste is milder than the smell suggests.
Where we list it: Raohe Street Night Market, Lehua Night Market, Fengjia Night Market, Guanghua Night Market
Oyster omelet 蚵仔煎
Small oysters and egg fried in a sweet potato starch batter that turns soft and chewy, with greens and a sweet and savory red sauce on top.
Where we list it: Ningxia Night Market, Lehua Night Market, Fengyuan Miaodong Night Market, Garden Night Market
Vermicelli in thick broth 麵線
Thin wheat noodles in a thick, savory broth with braised pork intestine, small oysters or both. Usually served in a paper bowl and eaten standing up.
Where we list it: Raohe Street Night Market, Sanhe Night Market, Zhongxiao Road Night Market, Zhongli Tourist Night Market
Gua bao 刈包
A folded steamed bun filled with braised pork belly, pickled mustard greens, ground peanuts and coriander.
Where we list it: Linjiang Street Night Market, Luzhou Miaokou Night Market, Zhonghua Road Night Market, Qinggou Night Market
Black pepper bun 胡椒餅
A bun baked against the wall of a clay oven, filled with peppery pork and scallions. Bite carefully: the filling stays very hot.
Where we list it: Raohe Street Night Market
Ba-wan 肉圓
A translucent, chewy starch wrapper around a pork filling, steamed or deep-fried and served in a sweet sauce. Styles change from town to town.
Where we list it: Nanya Tourist Night Market, Fengyuan Miaodong Night Market, Pingtung Tourist Night Market
Scallion pancake 蔥油餅
A flaky, pan-fried flatbread layered with scallions, often with an egg cooked in and a brush of sauce.
Where we list it: Lehua Night Market, Dadong Night Market and Dadong East Night Market, Ruifeng Night Market, Gongguan Night Market
Sweet potato balls 地瓜球
Balls of sweet potato and starch, pressed in the fryer until they puff up hollow. Crisp outside, chewy inside, sometimes dusted with plum powder.
Where we list it: Lehua Night Market, Fengjia Night Market, Xingzhong Night Market, Huaxi Street and the Longshan Temple Night Markets
Fried chicken cutlet 雞排
A large, flattened chicken breast, battered and deep-fried and seasoned with pepper salt. Some stalls finish it over charcoal with a sweet glaze.
Where we list it: Shilin Night Market, Fengjia Night Market, Dadong Night Market and Dadong East Night Market, Ruifeng Night Market
Taiwanese sausage 香腸
Sweet, garlicky pork sausage, grilled. In "big sausage wraps small sausage" (大腸包小腸) it is tucked into a split sticky-rice sausage like a hot dog.
Where we list it: Shilin Night Market, Nanya Tourist Night Market, Fengjia Night Market, Garden Night Market
Lu wei (braised snacks) 滷味
You pick tofu, noodles, vegetables, meatballs and offal into a basket, and the stall simmers them in a soy-based braise. Some stalls also sell cold braised snacks.
Where we list it: Raohe Street Night Market, Luzhou Miaokou Night Market, Yizhong Street Night Market, Garden Night Market
Sesame oil chicken 麻油雞
Chicken in a warming broth of sesame oil, ginger and rice wine, often with noodles or rice.
Where we list it: Ningxia Night Market, Nanya Tourist Night Market, Fengjia Night Market, Ruifeng Night Market
Herbal pork rib soup 藥燉排骨
Pork ribs simmered in a dark broth of Chinese herbs, sweet and slightly bitter.
Where we list it: Raohe Street Night Market, Guanghua Night Market
Thick soups (geng) 羹
Soups thickened with starch, with fish paste, squid, pork or crab, often eaten with rice or noodles.
Where we list it: Siaobei Tourist Night Market, Xingzhong Night Market, Huaxi Street and the Longshan Temple Night Markets, Keelung Miaokou Night Market
Dumplings and buns 湯包、水餃、鍋貼
Soup dumplings, pan-fried buns with crisp bottoms, potstickers and boiled dumplings. Let soup dumplings cool before you bite.
Where we list it: Shilin Night Market, Hanxi Night Market, Liuhe Tourist Night Market, Zhongyuan Night Market
Papaya milk 木瓜牛奶
Ripe papaya blended with milk and ice into a thick, sweet drink.
Where we list it: Nanya Tourist Night Market, Ruifeng Night Market
Shaved ice and bubble ice 剉冰、泡泡冰
Shaved ice heaped with beans, fruit, jellies and syrup. Bubble ice is shaved ice beaten with its flavoring until smooth and creamy.
Where we list it: Xinzhuang Temple Street Night Market, Yizhong Street Night Market, Siaobei Tourist Night Market, Guanghua Night Market
Tangyuan 湯圓
Glutinous rice balls, either sweet in syrup or with a pork filling in a savory broth.
Where we list it: Linjiang Street Night Market, Sanhe Night Market, Taitung Tourism Night Market
Douhua 豆花
Silky tofu pudding in sugar syrup, with toppings such as peanuts, red beans or taro balls.
Where we list it: Luzhou Miaokou Night Market, Guanghua Night Market, Jingmei Night Market, Chiayi Wenhua Road Night Market
Not sure how to order, pay or queue? How Taiwan night markets work covers the practical side, and Open tonight shows which markets are running on the day you choose.