Taipei Traditional Market

Street Market

Exploring Taipei, you never know what is around the next corner.  It could be a beautiful modern building, an ancient traditional temple, or more likely both of them side by side.  Taipei has embraced the hustle and bustle of modern capitalism, and yet maintained traditional, more personal ways of doing business

Just a 5 minute walk from our apartment is a long standing traditional market.  Vendors as old as the market itself arrive daily to sell fresh produce and freshly slaughtered meat, the way their parents did business, all in the shadow of one of the world’s tallest buildings

Taipei Traditional Market

In the Shadow of Taipei 101

In contrast to the dull gray cellophane wrapped meat in the super markets, the meat here is bright and alluring.  Just point to the piece you want and they will cut to order.  No refrigeration required.  I haven’t seen a single fly

It’s best to pay with exact change unless you want your coins covered in pig parts though

Taipei Traditional Market

It’s Whats for Dinner

Much of the seafood is fresh catch from the nearby sea.  Many of the customers seem to have long standing relationships with the vendors, and come to socialize as much as shop.  Except for a few grandchildren and hired help, we were the youngest customers by a wide margin

Taipei Traditional Market

Fresh Seafood

All of the work is done by hand, with speed and precision. I watched this woman segment a chicken faster than I could take a photo.

Taipei Traditional Market

Perfect Poultry

Winnie had a long conversation with the produce vendors about food origin and seasonality. I didn’t understand much of it, but they were clearly passionate about it

Taipei Traditional Market

Fresh Produce

Outside the core market, vendors set up street stands to sell anything and everything. Prices are scrawled on random pieces of cardboard or not written down at all.

The level of specialization is impressive. Need garlic or ginger? Where better than from the garlic and ginger guy?

Taipei Traditional Market

Garlic & Ginger Guy

Heavily laden with food for a holiday party, we caught a bus back home.  The view from the bus stop is hard to beat

Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall

Waiting for the Bus by Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall

Prices aren’t the cheapest, but they are competitive

Groceries

Groceries

This assortment of fruit and vegetables cost 435 TWD (~$14)

Not pictured here is 3 kg of pork shoulder, which we used to make some amazing carnitas.  This cost 940 TWD (~$30) or about $4.5/lb

We have to explore further to see if we can find better value on groceries, but we enjoy the small family businesses.  Where else will they let your man the meat stand while they take a break?

Taipei Traditonal Market

Exploring Career Possibilities

How does a Taipei Traditional Market compare to your latest shopping trip?