Andrew visited Taiwan, a land home to dramatic geography, such as waterfalls, mountains and natural hot springs. The national dish, "stinky tofu," makes its presence known long before you even see it. Andrew couldn't wait to taste it.
Andrew headed to Taipei, where he tried several delicacies, including 1,000-year-old thousand eggs and blood pudding on a stick. He then sampled a couple of foods said to have medicinal powers: rooster's testicles, which supposedly increase a man's virility; and black-boned chicken, which is believed to invigorate women after they have given birth, as well as help liver ailments and sharpen eyesight.
Andrew's final stop was Wulai, a famous mountain village in northern Taiwan. He experienced the "dama noodle," which is actually not a noodle at all but fermented meat!
Check out all the places Andrew visited and the foods he tried while in Taiwan.
Shenkeng
In the village of Shenkeng (famous for its tofu), at a street stall, Andrew ate stinky tofu stuffed with fermented cabbage. He then went to the Wang tofu factory, where he learned more about tofu and how it's made.
Taipei
Dai's House of Unique Stink (Chinese translation): Andrew learned about making stinky tofu.
Taiwanese Hamburger: Andrew ate a cow's stomach with a fried stinky tofu bun. Andrew also tried a raw stinky tofu salad mixed with 1,000-year-old egg. Yum!
Shilin Night Market: Andrew and his friend, Nana Chen, visited this popular nighttime food market. They ate an oyster omelet, chicken butt, grilled shrimp they caught themselves, "coffin bread" (deep-fried bread with a hole cut in it that's filled with anything from pineapple to mutton) unlaid chicken eggs, cock's comb, chicken uterus, goose tongues and goose head.
Black Gee Restaurant: Andrew ate black-boned chicken and rooster testicle soup made with regular and black testicles.
Taipei 101: Andrew visited the second-tallest building in the world, Taipei 101, and rode up to the observation deck in the world's fastest elevator. He interviewed Michael Chia Liu, the assistant vice president of Taipei 101, about the architectural elements of the building. Then he visited the food court, where he ate a Korean barbecue meat and rice bowl andTaiwanese chitlins with Szechwan peppercorns, ginger and blood cake.
Jason's: Andrew visited Jason's, the luxury grocery store in the building. He sampled kim-chee, mintai (sacks of salted, spicy fish roe), tiny dried, salted shrimp, pigeon egg marinated in soy sauce and black tea.
Pinglin
Andrew traveled to this northern town to learn about their most famous export - tea. He tasted tea, visited tea fields, and learned about the process of fermentation, withering and drying the tea.
He-Huang Restaurant: Andrew and his local guide, Lavie, visited this restaurant where entire meals are created using tea. They sampled "streaky pork" (pork belly) served on buns made from tea powder and noodles in tea oil.
Wulai
Spring Park Uria Spa and Resort: Andrew had a terrific chance to relax and soak in the hot springs.
Tai Ya Po Po Restaurant: Andrew visited Tai Ya Po Po to try some aboriginal cuisine. He ate bees, a salad made from the shoots of the betel nut tree and "dama mein" (also called dama noodles). The latter is raw pork mixed with salt and placed in a jar to ferment for two weeks.
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