A foodie’s guide to 10 things to eat in Chiayi
有一種餓叫做嘉義人怕你餓 – This colloquial phrase in Chiayi is loosely translated to mean: There is one kind of hunger called “Chiayi people are afraid you are hungry!” This expression sums up Chiayi’s reputation as a food paradise and the locals’ warm hospitality and their passion for food. The fact that the Netflix series Street Food episode of Taiwan focuses on Chiayi is testimony to its excellent culinary scene. Get ready to eat non-stop with this ultimate foodie’s guide to the best things to eat in Chiayi.
1. Turkey Rice 雞肉飯
Turkey rice is the representative dish of Chiayi. While you can find this Taiwanese delicacy all around the island, Chiayi is the only place to taste the best (don’t ever argue with a local about this). It’s widely known that people from Chiayi will not eat turkey rice outside their hometown. This legendary bowl of rice is crowned with succulent chicken slices and drizzled with chicken stock and fried scallions. Every local has a favorite chicken rice stall and enjoys the dish at any time of the day. Popular turkey rice stalls include Magistrate Liu’s Turkey Rice 劉里長雞肉飯, Dai Shi Turkey Rice 呆獅火雞肉飯, and Ah Hong Shi Turkey Rice 阿宏師火雞肉飯.
2. Fish Head Stew 沙鍋魚頭
The soul food of Chiayi is a hearty bowl of fish head stew. The most popular restaurant serving this unique dish since 1953 is Smart Fish 林聰明沙鍋魚頭. After it was featured in Netflix’s Street Food: Asia, the restaurant propelled to international fame and has been busy with expanding their outlets and creating new products like pre-packaged fish head stew for home cooking and their special Smart Fish shacha sauce. Dining at Smart Fish is an unforgettable culinary experience as their stew is densely flavorful and packed with fresh fish meat and vegetables. Read More…
