Days 017 020 Advice feeding yourself without speaking Chinese

Look at this guy in the shop. Hes waving and posing for my photo. Why?!
Because they really are that happy to see foreigners eat their food, so enjoy.

I was really lucky to have wonderful friends take care of me in Taipei, who enjoy the best food Taipei has to offer. But there were plenty of times on my trip I found myself on my own. I was staying near the student filled Shida area, but not near enough. Many of the restaurants and food carts in my area do not offer English or photos of food options.

Rows and rows of food stands

There are several approaches to hunting and gathering your meal in a completely foreign language. It only takes an ounce more courage than ordering for the first time any new place. The process is eased by how incredibly friendly Taiwanese towards a non-Chinese speaking person in their restaurant. They want you to enjoy a meal from them, and will go out of their way to help you.

Bubble tea also know as pearl tapioca is everywhere. Let the locals
tell you where the best stand is. None of it tastes bad if you
like the chewy and semi-slimy texture of the tapioca pearls.

Best food suggestion winner from fellow traveler, this sushi cost me $7.25

The first approach is by suggestion. Staying at a hostel is social. Hang out in the living space even to check a map and ask what someones trying. The staff have to eat too, and they know all the spots. Seasoned travellors will have carved many notches into their chopsticks too. Go with their wisdom. This is the easiest and most worry free way to order. One funny problem came from this approach in which a) its hard to remember the exact alley or lane which the food comes from and b) every restaurant has a red sign. I would often hear "got it from the place with thre red sign near seven eleven." That limits it to several thousand places in Taipei.

What is it? I ordered this by blindly pointing to a menu.

Its an oyster! And its delicious. Food bravery pays off I promise.
Youll only become (street) smarter from it.

Ginger pork dumplings, safer and easier to order. You can
usually spot them from behind the cart.

The next is by exploration. Every twist and turn of every block has store front restaurant and food carts. Each one different from the next. Sometime around food time I would walk up and down a street, maybe twice looking and sniffing for my next meal. See a line, head there. Not sure what to order? Point at the guy in front of you and have what he is having. I would sometimes poke my head around the other side of the cart and try to see what was cooking, and then just point to whatever looked good. Or just pick something on the menu and keep your fingers crossed. Granted this method isnt for picky eaters, but its fun. If I was a little more prepared I may have memorized the Chinese characters for pork, beef, fish, chicken, etc. Or if you have a smart phone you can download an app to translate photos of Chinese characters on the spot.

Really overwhelmed by a foreign food and language? Just eat a taco.

The final is pure laziness. Go to Seven Eleven, a grocery store, or Western-style restaurant and just order recognizable food. They have burritos, tacos, doughnut, pasta, and hamburgers in the Taipei. Its quite the fad. Not feeling brave, just relax and eat something from home. Just dont make it a habit or you will miss out on lots of delicious Taiwanese food.

Worst meal of the trip. For every variety of prepared food in Taipei there
are 5 carts that make it fresher, better, and CHEAPER. Dont waste
your time eating prepared foods unless time or traveling circumstances prevent it.

When left to my own devices I will probably eat a doughnut.
This is a matcha / green tea frosted chocolate doughnut from
Mister Doughnut. Mister doughnut is worth visiting for its
mildly sweet doughnuts. Very dunk-able.

Australias Exotic Fruit Farm 2 Fruit Tasting

Tasting fruits in whole form

Youre greeted with a cool glass of water with splash of West Indian Lime at the Cape Tribulation Exotic Fruit Farm on arrival. The flavor is recognizably lime, but subtler, less tart. The fruit farm has been collecting and growing unique tropical fruits since 1988. The tasting is a chance to get up close and personal with some very rare fruits, many of which are grown on the same land the farm sits on. Trish, our instructor also offers lots of information on recognizing when the fruit is ripe, peeling and cutting the fruits, and recipe and flavor pairings. Its a fruity dream in a tropical rain forest.

Tasting list

Breadfruit is a large spiky fruit. When its fully ripe, its a falling apart mess. Its eaten in its starchier state, and has lots of uses. We had ours roasted like potatoes. The flavor was nutty, and rooty. Very like a parsnip.

Roasted breadfruit

Youve probably heard of the next one, jakfruit. Its available in a can in the states, and Ive had it in halla halla, an Asian dessert. The canned version doesnt have much to do with the real thing. Its a monster. Jakfruit is the biggest tree-born fruit and can weigh as much as 88 pounds. The segments of the jakfruit are removed and cut into pieces after the skin is removed. The fruit is full of a sticky latex that will aggressively adhere to skin and clothes. Its recommended to wear gloves when cutting it up, and wipe your knife to prevent build up.

Cutting the jakfruit

The flavor is beautiful. Bright honey, banana, even a little watermelon in there. The texture is crunchy, and smooth. The segments contain seeds, which can be boiled and eaten too.

Jakfruit segments

Pomelo are becoming less and less exotic. They are widely available in New York City markets. These Burma bases fruits are the granddaddy of a many other citrus fruits, namely grapefruit.

Cutting the pomelo

Pomelos are still very similar to grapefruits. The fruits are triple the size with a drier texture. The fruit, pith and rind are all edible. The flavor is less bitter than grapefruit, but with a good citrus taste.

Pomelo fruit

After the first 4 fruits the tasting took a real departure towards very exotic. Sapodilla is small brown fruit which turns a caramel color when ripe. An indicator of its sweet caramel flavor. I found it similar to a fresh date, but fleshier with a little mealy texture. Its wonderful.

Cutting the sapodilla fruit

The sapodilla is also used to make gum. The seeds should not be eaten. The sapodilla fruit is best fresh, and hard to cook.

Sapodilla, soft and sweet

Yellow sapote was another fruit first for me. Its texture is like no other fruit. Its velvety soft and a little dense. The flavor was mild. My eyes may be playing tricks on my palette, but I detected some pumpkin notes, perhaps a little peachy too.

Yellow sapote in halves

Because of the yellow sapotes unique texture it goes very well with cheese, in yogurt, and ice cream. Its just a delight to feel it in your mouth and shines with its stand-out yellow color. Of all the fruits I tasted I really imagine this one having its own place in the commercial market.

Yellow sapote fruit with a creamy texture

Next Trish held up what looks like a plus size unripened tomato. In fact even the farmers have a hard time knowing when this fruit is ripe. They watch the birds to know when to pick it. The black sapote is ripe 4-5 days later. From then you must be quick to eat it, or falls apart.

Youd never guess whats inside the black sapote fruit

Black sapote is also known as pudding fruit, because its flavor is just like pudding, Jell-o pudding to be more exact. Its related to persimmon, and shares a similar taste. The flavor is sugary, and undistinguished. But its minimal flavor and decadent texture makes it a great palette for other flavors. Go ahead and add cocoa powder or orange juice, maybe some cinnamon or spice. Black sapote could be the healthier vegan alternative to custards and richer desserts. If it werent so hard to package I can imagine this fruit also having a greater life in the international market.

Black sapote the pudding fruit

Davidson plum is local to the Daintree rain forest area. Its another surprise, but this time not so sweet. The tiny plum is mouth wrenching sour. Remember warheads? Its that sour, but I believe with more of a physical effect. Your face can not stop its self from puckering and twitching. The color is as large as the flavor, fluorescent magenta. How does nature event this stuff?

Mini Davidson plum with a huge flavor

The davidson plum is popular in savory foods. It does well in sauce with gamy flavors. Kangaroo with davidson plum anyone? It can also be used to color foods with 10x the color of a beet. If I got my hands on some of these plums you can bet Id make some really radical sour pickles.

Davidson plum electric sour flavor

The star apple is neither an apple or a star, discuss. Well, there is a star revealed by cutting the fruit in thirds. The flavor is mellow and sugary, a bit like a fresh fig. The texture is velvety and airy. Emphasis on the mouth-feel rather than the flavor.

Cutting the star apple

The star apple should be eaten in wedges. The skin is not edible.

Star apple

The next fruit has many names to many people. Guanabana aka soursop aka custard apple or the peoples jakfruit. Its the best fruit Ive tried yet. The flesh is wet and avocado soft with some fibers. The flavor doesnt know when to stop. Complex flavors are sweet, acidic, and a bit perfumed. Describing the taste is like describing the flavor of a banana. Nothing compares.

Saving the best for last, guanabana

Guanabana is ripe when the scaly skin is pale green. The stay away from the toxic seeds. The fruit is often paired with champagne. This fruit has an international reputation already, and I cant remember seeing it in America. I am dead set on finding it at home.

Guanabana aka soursop aka custard apple

With or without the exotic fruit farm the Cape Tribulation in Northern Queensland is a spectaluar place to visit. Combind with this special farm dedicated to collecting, and educating people on the delights of fruit I think its a number one destination for anyone interested in food. Really interested? Try a work stay or a few nights in their B&B. You only stand to risk to spoil your senses.