Vegetarian Food in Taiwan: 26 Must-Tries & Veg Travel Tips!

If you are a foodie, and a vegetarian foodie at that, Taiwan is the place to be.

Seriously, Taiwanese food is special. It’s a cuisine we knew nothing about before visiting, but very quickly became one of our absolute favourites!

Think crisp yet chewy savoury pancakes, sweet potato a million different ways, barbecued king oyster mushrooms, dumplings, noodles, marinated eggs, and tofu that you can smell before you see it! (Ok, that last one is only for the brave.)

We went from not expecting to find many vegetarian options, to not being able to eat all the vegetarian options in our adventure through Taiwan.

So we had to go back, and have now spent a total of nearly three months eating our way around the country!

The food scene is some of the very best that we have experienced for vegetarians. And it’s some of the very tastiest too.

There isn’t always signage in English so it’s likely going to be a challenge, but it is definitely an adventure worth having. Here is all the vegetarian food in Taiwan that you need to keep an eye out for.

1. Scallion Pancake

A thing of beauty. A masterpiece. A perfectly crisp and flaky exterior, chewy layers of dough studded with spring onions.

And if you’re really feeling fancy, they’ll whip up a couple of eggs and throw then on the pan and put the scallion pancake on top so that you have an omelette layer to make it more substantial.

2. Deep-Fried Stinky Tofu

This is one for the brave. I guarantee that you will smell this long before you actually see it, and it smells rough: think bins left out in the sun for too long plus blue cheese.

There are several ways that stinky tofu can be prepared and served, but the most beginner-friendly version is deep-fried because it kind of masks some of the pungency.

It tastes surprisingly good and has a slight cheese tang, and is one of my favourite discoveries in Taiwan.

Sneaky Meaty: double-check that this is vegetarian before ordering. Some stinky tofu ferment starters are animal based.

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3. Stinky Tofu Spicy Soup

A bowl of rich and fragrant soup with a bit of a kick, plus spring onions and a block of some good old stinky tofu. So delicious! It takes stinky tofu to a whole new level.

Again, a pretty beginner-friendly dish because the soup itself dulls the stinky tofu stench. Our favourite stinky tofu soup is from Tainan.

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4. Tofu Skin

Now, this stuff was a revelation! Deep-fried and salted, tofu skin has a chewy meatiness that will get you double checking that it’s not in fact actual chicken.

During the tofu making process, a skin forms on top of the bowl. This is skimmed off and creates a really lovely texture.

5. Stuffed Rice Balls (Fantuan)

These are really substantial! Cooked and cooled rice is compacted and used as the casing and stuffed with various fillings.

The one that we tried had savoury doughnut sticks (more on that later), pickles, seaweed, sesame seeds, and radish inside. Don’t miss this rice ball store in Taipei!

6. Shaobing Breakfast Sandwiches

Deep-fried carbs stuffed into carbs and dunked in chilli sauce. Ok, these became a near daily ritual while we travelled around Taiwan.

A light shaobing bun is cut in two and then stuffed with various fillings. The most common we had was the youtiao (savoury doughnut stick), omelette, and greens.

And if you’re not dunking it in some super savoury chilli sauce, you’re not doing it right! Stodgy, greasy, and substantial.

7. Radish Cake (AKA Turnip Cake or Carrot Cake)

steamed which makes the texture very gelatinous. When we ordered radish cake, it was always fried again so that it had a beautiful, crisp edge, and sometimes it was stir-fried with some eggs and spring onions. Make sure you dip it in chilli sauce and hoisin sauce.

Sneaky Meaty: double-check that this is veggie before ordering. Some places will add mini shrimp into the mix and/or lard.

8. Sweet Potato Balls

A street food classic, there will always be a stand selling sweet potato balls at the night market. Balls of deep-fried sweet potato dough are often served covered in sesame seeds and some kind of honey or syrup.

9. Sweet Potato Sandwich

This was absolutely a first for me! Sticky sweet potato mash in between two slices of bread.

The one that I had even had a savoury vegetarian ‘meat’ floss to balance out the sweetness. And I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Granted, it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing, but it is delicious!

10. Sesame Noodles

Oooffff. Thick, chewy noodles coated in a sesame sauce with extra garlic and chilli. Stunning. We ate way too many pots of the stuff.

Sneaky Meaty: double check that these are vegetarian before ordering. We sometimes received sesame noodles with bacony bits on them.

11. Dumplings/Pot Stickers

Well-known and loved Asian dish, Taiwan makes a mean dumpling. And there are often veg options for the fillings!

If you can find the ones that have that beautiful crispy sheet that connects them altogether, you know you’re on to a winner! Our favourite dumplings are from here in Kaohsiung.

Sneaky Meaty: ‘cabbage dumplings’ often have pork inside. I think it’s maybe a translation issue, so yeah, double-check.

12. Corn on the Cob

We have never had corn on the cob like it. It’s coated in a sweet and savoury sauce and then cooked so that it goes all sticky. Double-check that the marinade is vegetarian – we found some stands had a veg marinade and a non-veg marinade.

13. Barbecued King Oyster Mushrooms

Exactly what it says on the tin. These guys are substantial and meaty and smoky.

14. Quail Eggs on a Stick

Quail eggs are cooked in trays with little round hollows in them and then turned as one side starts to cook so that the eggs end up in a small ball shape. They are then skewered on to a wooden stick.

15. Steamed Buns

A super light dough with similarities to bao buns stuffed with a savoury mushroom filling or greens, etc. Again, make sure you dunk these in a good savoury chilli sauce for maximum deliciousness!

Sneaky Meaty: seemingly innocent ‘cabbage buns’ often have pork inside. I think it’s maybe a translation issue, so yeah, double-check.

16. Fried Savoury Doughnuts (Youtiao) & Savoury Soy Milk

This dish is for sure an acquired taste. A partly split savoury soy milk often mixed with spring onions and bits of tofu is used as a dip for the savoury doughnuts.

It’s not that it’s unpleasant, it’s just not what I was expecting. The soy milk was kind of lumpy like it was nearly on the way to making tofu, and the doughnuts got soggy pretty quickly.

Ok, I know that description is not selling it, but it’s such a unique dish that you should definitely try it.

17. Rice Dumplings with Peanuts (Zongzi)

Savoury sticky rice and peanuts are moulded into a triangular shape in and wrapped in a leaf, which is then steamed. The steamed rice cakes are then often served with a sticky soy sauce.

18. Leek Box (or Chive Dumplings)

A classic breakfast dish, a leek box is a dumpling wrapper filled with scrambled egg, vermicelli rice noodles and obviously the leeks/chives.

I have heard that dried shrimp are sometimes added to the mixture, but we only ever received dried shrimp-less leek boxes whenever we ordered them (and we didn’t specifically ask for the veg option).

19. Dan Bing (Layered Omelette)

This style omelette is so unique. You can have all your usual omelette toppings, but it’s the actual eggy bit itself that makes all the difference.

There is an outer layer that is much more cooked and crispy that holds the internal layer in. The inside layer is soft and creamy and gooey, but not sloppy like a scrambled egg can be.

The contrast between the crisp cooked layer and the creamy layer is beautiful.

20. Vegetarian Hot Pot

Very much a meaty classic, but there is often a veg option too! We found it all a bit confusing, but you essentially get given a veg stock broth and it sits on a stove that’s built into your table.

They’ll then give you a load of veg, jazzy mushrooms, and maybe some meat/fish alternatives, and noodles. Then it’s very much up to you! Throw your veg in the broth and let it simmer away.

There is also always a huge sauce station (which is the real magic bit). Build yourself a sauce – soy, garlic, chilli, coriander, sesame, radish, vinegar – whatever you fancy. Once your stuff is cooked, dunk it in your personally curated sauce, and you’ll have the perfect bite!

21. Braised Tofu

Big blocks of tofu are cooked in a big old vat of something tasty. Yeah, I don’t know exactly what’s in it, but it’s good! It’s usually then served with a bunch of fresh garlic, chilli, and coriander which is a punchy mix.

Sneaky Meaty: Double-check that this is vegetarian before you order. We have seen the tofu being braised in the same stock as chunks of pig’s blood.

22. Nutritious Sandwich

There is nothing nutritious about this sandwich! But they’re unique and I guess, ironic.

The sandwich base is a deep-fried savoury dough. It is then sliced in two, covered in a sweet mayonnaise, tomato, cucumber, and tea egg.

They usually also add some kind of meat to this, but you can easily just ask for it not to be added.

23. Sweet Potato Greens

Steamed or boiled (I don’t really know) greens from the sweet potato are often served with a savoury dressing. It’s a nice accompaniment to another dish.

Sneaky Meaty: Double-check this is vegetarian before ordering. On one occasion, we were served sweet potato greens topped with mini shrimp!

24. Baked Sweet Potato from Convenience Stores

Now, this might seem odd – it was another new experience for me – 7/11 and Family Mart convenience stores often have a small hot box keeping a bunch of sweet potatoes warm.

Often they’re orange, but you can find purple sweet potatoes too. They’re really affordable, and are a perfect snack if you’re jumping on a long train journey, and they are so tasty that you can just eat them straight like you would an apple.

25. Tea Eggs from Convenience Stores

Next to the sweet potato hot box, you’ll likely see a big pot of black liquid filled with partially cracked boiled eggs.

The hard boiled eggs are marinated in black tea, soy sauce, spices and other tasty bits. The egg shells are cracked to enable the marinade in to get at the actual egg.

Tea eggs and sweet potatoes became another ritual for us whenever we had a travel day in Taiwan. The perfect tasty, filling and affordable snack.

If you’re in Jiufen, make sure you go to see our mate who has his own stall selling tea eggs (he even has chilli tea eggs!)

26. Veg Onigiri from Convenience Stores

Honestly, we were so surprised to see vegan onigiri options in the convenience stores. And they were tasty options too!

A savoury filling is added to the centre of a cold triangle of rice. There is a sheet of crisp nori seaweed that then wraps the whole rice triangle. The veg options are tasty: three cup mushroom, veg chicken with scallion sauce, veg tuna.

Tips for Vegetarians Navigating Taiwan

Beware of the Sneaky Meaty!

Taiwan actually has a great vegetarian food scene, but there is always a risk of some kind of sneaky meaty element creeping into the dishes. I think this is more a translation issue than anything.

Something innocent sounds like ‘cabbage buns’ surprisingly ends up actually being pork and cabbage buns. ‘Radish cake’ surprisingly ends up having mini shrimp inside.

Tofu Doesn’t Always Mean the Dish is Veggie

Tofu dishes in the west are almost exclusively reserved for vegetarians and vegans. In the east, tofu is eaten by everyone and you will often find tofu dishes including meat. So, do not assume that because it is a tofu dish, that it will be safe!

Learn the Chinese Characters for ‘Vegetarian’

素食 is pronounced something along the lines of ‘sushi’ (it has more of an ‘er’ sound at the end rather than an ‘ee’ sound). You’ll see it on food stands, menus, etc. so it’s good to look out for, but to also ask the question to the vendor/waiter.

There is a Fully Vegetarian Night Market

Yeah, this is way too exciting! The first time we went to it, it was a complete accident. We were translating all the menus and every single vendor was only selling veg items!

The vegetarian night market moves around the country: different vendors, different locations, different dates.

Follow the night market on Instagram and Facebook where they publish the upcoming events.

Fully Veg/Vegan Restaurants

Taiwan has many restaurants that exclusively serve vegetarian or vegan food. In the cities you are guaranteed to be able to find several.

The Term ‘Vegetarian’ Is Understood

You know when you’re travelling and you tell someone that you’re vegetarian. And they respond with ‘oh, so you eat chicken?’, yeah, it’s not like that in Taiwan! Taiwan knows what vegetarian actually means.

Fruit is Really Expensive

Taiwan has some beautiful fruit! Pineapple and mango are stunning here, but they’re pricey. So don’t expect to be able to come to the market and buy a load of fruit without your purse end up feeling particularly light.