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As the champion of baked goods like Pineapple tart and Tan Yang Bing, Taiwan equally exceeds expectations when it comes to locally-produced snacks and tidbits. Supermarkets are confusing territories no matter where you reside. With the wide array of selection, trying to settle on what snacks to bag home can be a headache - that is, unless you come prepared with a list of things to buy! Today, I'm bringing you along on a tour of some of the best Taiwanese snacks that are definitely worth your dollar, especially since they are recommended by the locals. (Click here to see my AIESEC experience.) You can find some of the snacks at convenience stores, but I got 'em all at Carrefour, a giant supermarket chain in Taiwan.

#1: Waffle biscuits
Yes, waffle biscuits may sound a bit mundane and uninteresting. But I promise, these waffle biscuits are so easy to go down, you may even find yourself reaching for a second or third packet! This comes in peanut and black sesame flavours, and thankfully, they lack the artificial sweetener taste you sometimes find in biscuits. If you can't make up your mind which flavours to get, just grab both (like I did)!

#2: Cocoa oatmeal cookies
Don't you love cookies that are healthy and also oh-so-delicious? This little bite comes in handy for when you're running late in the morning, or as a pre- or post-workout snack.

#3: Milk cookies
Don't need to dip your cookies into milk when you've got milk cookies. I give both the texture and the taste an A. The milkiness is perfect, neither overly sweet nor nauseatingly flavoured with milk. This got me screaming (internally, of course) like a baby for more after just one bite. Comes in egg yolk (not salted egg yolk) flavour as well!

Small, individually-packaged

#4: Cookies
How about some cookies to go with your tea? Don't need 'em British cakes and biscuits when you can get reasonably-priced cookies from the supermarket. Come with different shapes and sizes, these are perfect snack-plates for the little ones.

#5: Baked fries
Guilt-free chips, say WHAT?! Sometimes, you just want to finish the entire bag of chips on your own without feeling like you've gained 2 kg afterwards. Believe me you, I get it. Substitute those oil-fried potato chips with some baked chips instead - your arteries will thank you for it. ;)

#6: Square cookies

Left: Matcha Middle: Brown sugar Right: Black sesame

Left: salted egg yolk Middle: Peanut Right: Black sesame

Say yes to more cookies! CK cookies is THE popular salted egg yolk cookies in Taiwan. I've tried other "imposter" brands, and they simply can't match up to the CK brand.

#7: Pineapple tarts
Pineapple tarts are a must-buy in Taiwan! But, if for some reason you can't make your way down to a local bakery, this brand comes highly recommended from the locals.

#8: Fish cracker
I call this the Taiwanese version of Calbee's prawn crackers. Instead of prawn, this has a fish base.

#9: Sachima
Sachima is a traditional snack and comes in different variants, such as nuts and dried fruits to up the nutritional content. Soft, crumbly, moreish, the sweet simplicity of this snack brings back a lot of childhood memories for me.

#10: Chips
We all know by now that the potato chips options in Singapore are quite limited. If luggage space is not your concern, grab a bag (or two) home and share it with your friends and family during house gatherings, picnic, supper... whenever and wherever! And, if you're feeling adventurous, get the garlic one - just make sure not to kiss anyone afterwards!

#11: Spring onion cracker
Not sure about the West, but I'd say this snack is relatively easy to find in any Asian supermarket. The fragrance from the spring onion complements the lightly salted crackers. Perfect for a light tea break.

#12: Nut butters and sesame paste 🅥

I got the peanut butter on the extreme right

I got the sesame paste from this brand.

I'm a nut butter fanatic so I know I absolutely can't leave the country without getting my hands on them. Get the ones with Chinese words on them - you're in the Formosan land, so what else, right? I got the peanut butter from the top photo and the sesame paste from the bottom photo (check out the brand's website here (in Chinese)).

Taiwanese seed / nut butters are generally natural. With none of the nasty stuff like palm oil, preservatives and colouring, you can eat this natural creamy goodness just as it is, spread it onto a toast, mix it into your shakes, or  drizzle it onto your smoothie bowls. Personally, I have been drizzling the sesame paste over sweet potatoes - don't judge it until you've tried it. Just one bite of this combi and I'm in food heaven.

# 13: Brittles 🅥
Comes in a few flavours: mushroom, taro (savoury) and yam (sweet).

Mushroom Brittle

Although it's advertised as mushroom brittle, this tastes nothing like mushroom. That said, it's got a great crunch. Another plus point is that this doesn't contain MSG and is not too greasy, a great alternative to potato chips! As with all snacks, consume in moderation because it can get a little heaty.

I spent 6 weeks in Taiwan and during this time, I familiarised myself with the local food scene near Sanxia Old Street. What I've got featured are local hot-spots with reasonably-priced items (< 100 NTD) that are worth your bucks. Some are within walking distance from Sanxia Old Street; others are farther, but conveniently located at the residential buildings nonetheless. Far or near, these eateries uphold the Taiwanese spirit of transforming commonplace food items into a foodie's best dream.

1. Shan Quan Shui Handmade Tofu Pudding (山泉水手工豆花)

Source

Source

5 minutes' walk away from Sanxia Old Street, this local hotspot sells slushie and traditional bean curd priced at a steal (30 NTD). The place was packed when I went on a Sunday afternoon. Though the queue was relatively long, the staff were fast-handed so we got through the queue quickly.

Generous serving of soft peanuts and chickpeas

Address: No.149 Minsheng St., Sanxia Dist., New Taipei City 237, Taiwan
Operating hours: Daily 9am - 10pm. Closed on the 1st and 4th Tues of the month.
Map: 

2.  San Xia Bing Zhen (三峡冰镇)

It was a warm evening when I stumbled upon this place. I'd thought to myself, what better way to end my lonesome night than a dessert-for-one? Thoughts of social awkwardness of consuming one bowl of shaved ice by myself melted away when I tried the peanuty goodness. I didn't care that it was a calorie bomb or that I was alone - I just wanted to finish the entire bowl by myself. And finished I did. That's the power of sugar, I guess. 😂 I got peanut Korean shaved ice the first time there with 4 toppings at NT $70. (The difference between Bingsu and Taiwanese shaved ice lies in the texture of the ice. Korean Bingsu is made with finely shaved, feather-light ice that melts immediately on your tongue, while the Taiwanese variant contains chunky ice reminiscent of Singapore's Ice Kachang.) The bingsu is limited edition (which I only found out on my second trip) and comes with 3 flavours: matcha, peanut and chocolate. Initially, I wanted to opt for fruit syrup, but the staff advised against it, saying that it'd affect the taste of the peanut flavour - and I was so glad I listened to him! I changed to watermelon as one of my toppings in the end and to be honest, it was really an odd match with the peanut bingsu but at least it didn't contaminate the flavour like the syrup would have. 😜

*For vegans, do inform the staff not to add condensed milk.

Some of the ingredients: different types of beans, taro, fruits, tapioca pearl, aiyu jelly, grass jelly, fruit jelly, pudding, fruit syrup

Taro, red bean

Watermelon, soft peanuts (The peanuts and taro are camouflaged with the peanut ice)

Taro + red beans + salty roasted peanuts + blackcurrant

Showing a different side so you can see how generous they are with the toppings!

Address: 237, Taiwan, New Taipei City, Sanxia District 民生街108號
Operating hours: Daily 1-11 pm
Map:

3. 陳Q古早味黑糖剉冰 (北大店)