Breakfast Culture

Taiwan’s breakfast culture represents one of its most distinctive food traditions and deserves special attention from travellers. Whilst breakfast in many Asian countries involves eating leftover dinner foods or consuming simple rice porridge, Taiwan developed elaborate breakfast traditions that combine Chinese, Japanese, and Western influences into something unique.

The Western-influenced breakfast shop format dominates northern and central Taiwan. These establishments serve items like egg pancakes（蛋餅）, a thin crepe wrapped around scrambled egg and various fillings; Taiwanese-style sandwiches with mayonnaise, egg, cucumber, and sometimes unusual fillings like pork floss; and soy milk served sweet or savoury. The beverage options typically include milk tea prepared with condensed milk, creating a sweet, rich drink quite different from British milk tea.

Tainan’s breakfast culture follows different traditions emphasising savoury soups and traditional preparations. The most iconic is beef soup （牛肉湯）, usually available only during morning hours when freshly slaughtered beef arrives at restaurants. The preparation is extraordinarily simple: raw beef slices briefly blanched in boiling bone broth, but depends entirely on meat quality and freshness. Other Tainan breakfast specialties include savoury congees, traditional rice cakes, and fish soup.

Traditional Chinese breakfast items remain popular throughout Taiwan. Youtiao (油條, fried dough sticks, similar to Spanish churros but savoury) often accompany soy milk or rice milk. Shaobing (燒餅, baked flatbread) with egg or with youtiao inside provides a satisfying, portable breakfast. Fantuan (飯糰, rice rolls) consist of sticky rice wrapped around various fillings like pickled vegetables, pork floss, and preserved eggs.

For travellers, experiencing Taiwan’s breakfast culture provides insights unavailable through other meals. Breakfast vendors and shops function as neighbourhood institutions where locals gather before work, creating a communal atmosphere different from dinner’s more formal social structures. The relatively low prices (most breakfast items cost 30-60 TWD) allow extensive experimentation without financial commitment.