This is the final story of Vicky’s series on Taipei. I’ve never really understood the point of aphrodisiacs. Oysters are included in this group of food items that allegedly stimulate sexual desire. Sure, there are certain foods that really do suggest a bit of romance more than others – strawberries or chocolate, for example. Perhaps [...]

Traditional Taiwanese desserts can be a difficult sell to the uninitiated. They usually don’t come from the oven, so they cannot rely on wafting, warm scents or soft, crumbly goodness to draw admirers. They don’t travel very easily in forms suitable for a happy memory, like those of a whimsical cupcake, pretty ice cream cone [...]

I like the slogan, “Taste the Rainbow.” Unlike M&Ms’ “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand,” it’s not overly practical. “Hungry? Why Wait?” doesn’t necessarily encourage someone to eat a Snickers bar, but rather anything that’s lying around nearby, which could be a Twinkie, for all we know. And slogans like “Two for me, [...]

The chip butty, found mostly in the UK, is a sandwich of chips, a.k.a. French fries, stuffed between two slices of sturdy bread. To be honest, the concept was a bit confusing at first. One cold winter morning, I pondered while munching on the ridiculously satisfying layers of deep-fried golden potatoes, ketchup, bread and mayonnaise: [...]

The basic purpose of food is to provide sustenance; the body needs it to function. Today, food serves many other purposes: social activity, hobby, art. Innovation with regards to food has been stupendous, as the variety of techniques used to render raw materials into a meal have expanded to add textures, bring out flavour combinations [...]

The National Palace Museum in Taiwan showcases a variety of ancient artifacts, from scrolls of calligraphy to bejewelled hairpins. Two sculptures serve as the museum’s equivalent of the Mona Lisa, showcase pieces that draw in the tour buses. One is a brilliant piece of white and green jade carved into the shape of a cabbage [...]