I got up early to make it to the morning open air market and check out the preparation festivities for Dragon Boat Festival. I think this is the first time I am in the country for this since I left Taiwan when I was eight.Here is a woman who is selling arrangements to hang on the door for good luck.
I don't know what is the combination of greens that are bundled together called or the reason for the combination. It usually has a story to it of which I forgot to ask.
This is the sticky rice you stuff in banana leaves and then steam it. It's so simple, and delicious.
These dishes are typical side dishes people order, tofu or gluten stewed in five spice and topped with kimchi. Seaweed also in the same stew is topped with fresh young ginger.
In the evening I went to ShiLin Night Market to have dinner and do more shopping. This is grilled rice cake it comes on a stick and you can order whatever spice and topping you like to go on it.
This is sweet potato balls. The dough goes into the molder and each is cut into right size pieces and then it goes into the oil fried.
It doesn't take long and the stirring while the balls puff makes it into round shapes.
This is what it looks like when it is done. Totally bite size, crunchy and chewy. It's simple and addictive like popcorn.
The scene at the night market with people putting out illegal stands on the street. Everything is done in a way that is easy to put out and easy to pack up so you can run when the cops come. Since there are so many people for the cops to make their way, it takes awhile.
It is totally packed body to body, difficult to navigate and lots to see and buy.
This is a kind of jelly drink that is call "Ai Yu" usually diced into cubes and mixed with lemon juice. Very refreshing in the summer to drink.
This is called grass jelly and it also is done in cubes mixed with sugar based juice also very refreshing for the heat.
This man has been frying stinky tofu at this corner stand across from the metro station for at least a decade. His tofu is crispy puffy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I like how he does his tofu.
I like the sauce that goes into it and the kimchi and the chilli. All and all a nice combination. The red chilli isn't as spicy as it looks. It's great with a glass of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice from the next stand.
