逛逛台灣夜市 Taiwan’s night markets
Taiwan night markets are very famous and is a must when visiting Taiwan. You’re bound to find at least a couple in every city. Today I want to take you to Dongdamen night market in the city of Hualien. Hualian is on the east coast of Taiwan, often known as Taiwan’s back garden due its location facing the pacific ocean, and natural beautiful landscape.
台灣夜市很有名，每一個城市都必定有好幾個，到台灣旅行是必去的行程之一。 今天我要帶大家到花蓮的東大門夜市逛。花蓮位於台灣東海岸，面對太平洋，同時有不少漂亮風景，有台灣後花園之稱。
Dongdamen night market is the largest market in Hualien. It connects 3 pedestrian streets and has about 400 stalls. This is the entrance to one of the street called the Aboriginal Street.
東大門夜市是花蓮最大的夜市，由3條行人街道組成，有400多個攤檔。這是其中名叫”原住民一條街”的入口。
My visit was on a weekday, but it was still quite busy. Going to the night market is not only for tourists, its also one of the favourite past time for the locals. You have families strolling around with their small kids, and friends on an evening out.
我去當天並不是周末，但仍然很熱鬧。逛夜市不只是遊客愛去，台灣當地人也十分喜歡晚上到夜市逛逛。無論是一家大小或是約朋友一起，都是一個很好的晚間活動。
My first port of call was a stall that sells fried sweet potato balls, one of my favourite finds since I arrived at Taiwan. These are sweet potatoes mashed with flour and sugar and then deep fried. The goods ones have a nice soft chewy texture and a lovely sweet potato flavour. At the night market, the trick to finding the best food is to join the longest queue, that’s all part of the fun! I joined this queue which was quite long, the stall is where the sign is with the top red and bottom white letters.
到夜市當然要找美食。 地瓜球是我到台灣後，才發現的超好味美食。它是用蒸熟的地瓜加上薯粉及糖壓成泥狀，揉成小球去炸。好吃的地瓜球不但有軟軟QQ的口感，還帶有很香的地瓜味道。 在夜市裡賣同一樣食物的攤檔很多，要找最好吃的就是要看哪一檔的人龍最長，跟著排隊通常都沒錯！就這檔吧!
Each batch of sweet potato balls takes quite a while to deep fry otherwise its very stodgy, I think I waited for about 10 minutes which is acceptable. As soon as I got my packet of sweet potato fried balls me and my friends all dug into it, and I forgot to take any photos?!!!
炸地瓜球不能急，否則裏面炸不熟就不好吃。我大概等了10分鐘，還可以接受。接過地瓜球後，一班朋友你一顆我一顆在吃， 忘記拍照噢?!!
Next up is sweet soup dessert, always my favourite. This stall has a choice of red bean soup, or ginger and cane sugar soup. You can also choose a selection of ingredients to add to the soup such as glutinous rice balls, yam balls (similar to the sweet potato fried balls but made of yam and steamed), mashed yam, grass jelly and an assortment of nuts and beans. I choose the ginger and cane sugar soup base with glutinous and yam balls.
跟著是吃我至愛的甜點。這個攤檔有紅豆湯和黑糖薑汁湯，還可以加湯圓，芋圓，芋蓉，仙草或各種豆類在湯裏面。我選了黑糖薑汁湯加湯圓及芋圓，芋圓是我到台灣後每次吃糖水必點的搭配。
Other very popular snacks that can always be found at the Taiwan night markets are deep fried chicken legs which are deboned and filleted, and fried squid. I really like the chicken but too much deep fried food gives me a sore throat.
夜市一定有台灣很受歡迎的雞扒和炸魷魚。前者我很愛吃，但也容易上火和喉嚨痛，不敢吃太多。
Then there’s also the traditional Taiwanese snacks such as stinky tofu (think deep fried blue cheese) and pigs blood soup (the Scots have black pudding which is also made of pig’s blood, so its not that weird). Apparently this store is quite a well known in Hualien and has been around the city for over 30 years!
豬血湯及臭豆腐是台灣傳統有名的小吃， 但兩者都不是我那杯茶，所以沒有吃。不過聽說這家店在花蓮已超過30年歷史，在當地蠻有名。
On the Aboriginal Street there are many stalls that sells traditional Taiwanese aboriginal snacks, such as bamboo rice (rice stuffed in bamboo and roasted), traditional sausages and roast pork.
在原住民一條街上，當然有售賣原住民的小吃，例如竹筒飯，傳統香腸及燒烤山豬肉。這些都是在很多原住民的餐廳裏可以吃到的食物。
Some stalls have a sit down area like this one that does quick stir fry dishes. There’s a whole array of fresh vegetables and herbs on display and the meat and fresh are in the fridge. You can choose your own ingredients and they will cook it for you immediately.
有些攤檔可以坐下來慢慢吃。經過看到這一家攤檔，新鮮蔬菜擺在攤檔面前，不知是否當地的出產呢？肉類及魚類放在冰櫃裏。顧客可以隨意配搭材料，然後請攤檔老闆即場快炒。
The night markets aren’t just for eating, its for playing as well. This mahjong bingo game is quite interesting. Its a hybrid of mahjong (a popular chinese game) and bingo.
除了吃之外，夜市還可以玩。麻雀賓果在台灣夜市很流行，集合傳統中國麻雀跟西方賓果二合為一的遊戲。
You choose 15 blocks from the the group of 30+ unturned ones, turn them over and place them on their matching position on the table. If you get a line, either down, across or diagonally you win a prize. Its a very simple yet fun game, and as I found on a previous trip to another night market, can be quite addictive!
玩法是從30多塊麻雀牌中選15塊。把他們反過，如果與桌面卡片上的牌子一樣就放在上面，連成一條橫，直或斜的線就可以贏得獎品。這個遊戲很簡單也很好玩。我之前在另一個夜市玩了很多次，很容易玩上隱噢!
There’s also different types of old fashion paper based games, scratch cards, and mini desktop games.
另一些攤檔有提供比較傳統的擦擦卡遊戲，和小型機動遊戲。
Oh! You can also buy a balloon with a little girl inside to take home with you! Just joking! ?
喜歡的話，你還可以買一個裝著小女孩在裏面的氣球回家! 說笑而且! ?
Next time you visit Taiwan, don’t forget to pop down to the local night market. There is so much on offer there, I’m sure you’ll find something to suit your taste.
台灣夜市攤檔琳瑯滿目，花多眼亂， 一定有合你心意的小吃。下次到台灣，記得要去逛逛夜市噢