image source-livingnomads.comJiufen Old Street is just like Taiwan in the old days. It is the most amazing place and it is among the top of the list for every traveler traveling to Taiwan. Every traveler wonder regarding the name given. It is said that a long time ago, there were only nine families in JiuFen. Before the roads on land were built, all materials were transported via ships. Thus a habit was formed that nine pieces of the same object were purchased for the families. Hence, the place was called JiuFen.Due to the frequent rains in JiuFen, the stores on the street built the rain canopy outside, which formed a faint alley, it is also known as Dark Alley.Jiufen is a charming mountain town in Ruifang District, located about an hour east of Taipei, its a former mining town that has become a popular tourist destination.Due to the proximity, many people come to Jiufen for the day either on their own or by guided tour, usually to do two things take lots and lots of pictures, and eat lots and lots of street food.The trip to JiuFen Old Street is full of delight. There are shops, vending the most famous country snack of JiuFen, such as Glutinous Rice Cake, Taro Glutinous Rice Cake, Hongzao (Oxo Cubes) Meatball, and cold or hot Taro Balls, etc. The street is filled with delicious snacks.So here is the list of delicacies that you can enjoy at Jiufen Old Street:-

Coffee Nougat Biscuit

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This is the first thing which every traveler is recommended to eat. It is offered by almost every bake shop, but the taste of Saint Peter bake shop is unparalleled. It is a Taiwanese bakery shop. Coffee nougat biscuits are damn delicious. Theyre chewy and not too sweet with a robust coffee flavor.Where to eat:-Saint Peter Bake ShopPrice-NTD 500 for two boxes

Deep-Fried Battered Seafood

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As Taiwan is famous for fried seafood, and every market is famous for this delight. There is no exception for Jiufen old street. At this stall, they make them with different types of seafood like crab and shrimp. Fried Seafood is famous among the travelers as one can take away one cup and can easily roam in the old street while enjoying delight in every bite.Cost-NTD 50 for Cup.

Fish or Meat Ball Soup

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The best fish and meatball soup can be found at Zhang Ji and Jin Zhi which is well known to every traveler. The size of the ball differs in size, and it looks like they are made up of fish, pork, squid, and vegetable. Theyre hearty and fun to eat.Place- Zhang Ji Traditional Fishballs, Jin Zhi (meatballs)Cost-NTD 65 per Bowl.

Glutinous Rice Cake

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This is one of the most interesting delicacies which you will find on Jiufen Old Street. Its a Hakka glutinous rice cake made with a variety of fillings like salted vegetable, preserved turnip, and sweet red bean. Hakka cuisine is the cooking style of the Hakka people who are originally from China. The taste of preserved turnip will give your taste bud unforgettable sensation. A strong taste of sweet and salty vegetable with a punch of red beans is really amazing.Several stalls sell these glutinous rice cakes in Jiufen, but none is more popular than Ah Lan Hakka Glutinous Rice Cake. In fact, theyre one of the most popular stalls in Jiufen. Theyre easy to spot too. Just look for the stall with the longest queue.Place - Ah Lan Hakka Glutinous Rice CakeCost - NTD 10 Per piece

Ice Cream Puff

The name itself will give you a sweet sensation. At Misty Cake, Jiufen old Street, you can choose any two scoops of ice cream, which theyll sandwich between two halves of a large, flaky puff pastry. We went with raspberry and dark chocolate. The Misty Cake offers many sweet delicacies, but this Ice cream puff will give your taste bud heavenly experience.Place-Misty CakeCost-Approx NTD 250 for large scoops

Noodles

Being in Taiwan and not tasted noodles is just unbelievable. You will find noodles in various forms. Here you can enjoy noodles with the combination of meat and ball soup.Cost-NTD 45 per Bowl.

Peanut Ice Cream Roll

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This is one of the oddest items served in Jiufen Old Street. Its like ice cream, peanut burrito. To make it, peanut shavings are spread out over the traditional popiah skin and topped with two small scoops of ice cream. Its then folded up like a thin, flat burrito before being cut into two and served. It sounds weird, but it is actually pretty good.Place - Ah Zhu Peanut Ice CreamCost-NTD 40 Per Roll

Taiwanese Sausages

The pork is very common stuff of Jiufen Old Street. Sausages are popular throughout Taiwan, including Jiufen. Here youll find multiple vendors selling different kinds of sausages like pearl sausages (pictured below) and Kurobuta sausages.Cost-NTD 35 Per stick

Taro Balls

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Like glutinous rice cakes and peanut ice cream rolls, these bowls of taro balls are among the most popular snacks in Jiufen. Theyre served either hot or cold and filled with chewy handmade taro balls, sweet potato balls, green tea balls, and kidney beans. There are many stalls offering taro balls along Jiufen Old Street, but none more popular than Grandma Lais Taro Balls.Place-Grandma Lais Taro BallsCost-NTD 50 per Bowl.

Conclusion

Jiufen Old Street is one of the most popular food streets in Taiwan so there are plenty of other delicious things to be found there. This list is a good place to start, as it does include some of Jiufens most popular dishes and stalls.