Okay. If you’re on my blog, I’m sure you are curious about where and what I ate in Taipei. And the short answer is, at night markets. And I ate everything and anything I could find.

Besides a few easy to recognize dishes, I honestly couldn’t tell you exactly all that I ate while there. And that’s due to a) not being able to read or speak Mandarin and b) being too excited about food and just trying out any and everything without taking notes. If you don’t already know, Taipei is known for their extensive, spectacular night markets. They offer the quintessential, thrilling eating experience in all of Taiwan. No, seriously. You will find yourself stopping at a new stall to try something new with every turn you take…before you know it, you’ll be 3 hours deep into the night market and STILL not ready to go home (or back to your hostel)! At least that’s what happened to me…multiple times. Haha.

Also a side note: I typically do not enjoy shopping for things other than food. I did, however, have the strong urge to do some “not food” shopping while out and about at these night markets. I mean, how can you not when most things are remarkably affordable AND cute!? Plus—and this is a big plus—you’re supporting locals in the country you are visiting. Most of the clothes, accessories, jewelry, etc. are locally handmade and make great gifts for either yourself or loved ones, if you so choose. I ended up finding some cute little change purses for my sisters!

So, I went off on a little tangent about markets. And for good reason—they are simply a food haven. As for which night markets to go to, I wouldn’t say there’s a true and clear “best” night market because they’re all great and each of them have something unique and exciting to offer. The other disclaimer is that I have not gone to all of the night markets in Taipei. But I did go to a night market every night that I was there, and the ones that stood out to me the most were Raohe, Ningxia, and Shilin. With more than 500 food vendors, Shilin Night Market is Taiwan’s largest and most famous night market—and because of that, boy is it crowded! But don’t let the crowd scare you away—it is still worth a visit!

Shilin Night Market is also infamous for their unusual, wacky snacks. Anyone care for a penis-shaped pineapple cake??

Raohe Night Market has a very different overall feel to it that I like, including being less crowded. And besides all the delicious foods and snacks, I love its close proximity to Songshan Ciyou Temple, which is definitely a must go—it’s beautiful. While the history of night markets in Taiwan goes back decades, Ningxia is actually considered the first structured food night market. Cool, right!? So, that being said, you can expect to find some of the very best traditional Taiwanese food and snacks here!

Ever been to Taipei? Do you have a favorite night market? Share below in the comments; I’d love to hear any recommendations!