5.Taiwanese Meatballs
5.Taiwanese Meatballs
Taiwanese Meatball is a popular snack food throughout Taiwan and is regarded as one of the representative foods of Taiwan. The outer layer of the meatball is made of rice flour and is filled with a flavorful mixture of pork, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, and other seasonings. After steaming, the meatball is ready to be enjoyed.
The origins of the meatball can be traced back to Fujian Province during the Qing Dynasty, where it was originally called "siu mai". With the arrival of Fujian immigrants in Taiwan, the meatball gradually became a popular local snack food. Today, the meatball has become one of the most popular snacks in Taiwan and can be easily found in street vendors or restaurants.
The thin and chewy outer layer of the Taiwanese meatball is filled with a meaty and flavorful mixture, with a hint of shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots. The addition of special seasonings enhances the meatball's taste even further. Many people enjoy eating meatballs with a side of sour and spicy sauce or sweet and spicy sauce, which enhances its texture and taste.
Apart from the traditional pork meatball, there are now various other flavors available, such as beef, seafood, vegetables, squid, etc., to satisfy different taste preferences. Additionally, there are also some special flavors of meatballs such as spicy oil meatballs and egg yolk meatballs, which further enrich the variety of meatball flavors.
In Taiwan, there are also special ways of enjoying meatballs. Some people prefer to dip the meatball into sauce before taking a bite to even out the taste, while others prefer to eat it with peanut powder or garlic sauce, which enhances the meatball's texture and aroma.