[Special]

By student intern Lin Yi

Night markets are good places to sample Taiwan's delicious snacks.

Today I am at Taipei's Shilin night market, the largest and most famous night market in the capital. The diversity of food and shops here makes it a wonderful, lively place to visit.

There are hundreds of vendors at the Shilin night market selling yummy foods. These delicious local snacks include oyster omelets made of oysters, tapioca starch and eggs. They have a soft and sticky texture and are eaten with a sweet, spicy sauce. This dish is the most popular snack in Taiwan and very common at night markets.

You also can find small cakes wrapped in larger ones. They consist of a small deep-fried cake with a sweet or savory filling that is enclosed in a thin, soft spring roll skin made of flour. The combination of crispiness and softness tastes great.

Another vender at the night market is making traditional peanut candy which has a wonderful aroma. There is also a popular steak stall at the market that sells fried chicken steak, and many people always line up to buy one. The stall's vendor said he has been selling steaks at the Shilin night market for years. He never skimps on the ingredients and work long hours to please the crowds.

There are other tasty snacks waiting for you to discover. If you are a gourmand, the Shilin night market could definitely be your paradise.

If you want to visit the night market, you can take the subway to the Jiantan station. Since most vendors start selling food and goods around 4 p.m., you should avoid coming in the morning or afternoon. They continue operating until about 1 a.m.