Kaohsiung Day 4: Nostalgic bites

Days of absorbing new yet sometimes familiar sights, sounds, tastes, and smells left me hungering for more. I was most impressed by the people I met on the streets. Hospitable, friendly, schooled in the ways of life yet humble and very approachable. Eatery staff who'd tell me not to buy too much in case the egg puffs go bad. Bubble-tea vendors who'd enquire after J's parents, cousins, uncles' little dogs, etc. It all harked back to an olden time.

This day saw us drive to 台南 (Tainan), J's mum's hometown, to visit her aunt. My education of things Taiwanese continued in the car: did I know that there are different grades of Taiwan-grown pineapples, all named after precious stones? That Chiang Kai-shek's descendants did more for the country than him? For example, all over the country, busts of this rogue-ish general were being dismantled to make way for more deserving candidates. Not forgetting that Chiang Kai-shek International Airport had been renamed Taiwan International Airport.

It was my second trip to Tainan; the history of this historic city never failed to fascinate me. A Dutch colony in the distant past, it also witnessed the landing of 鄭和(Zheng He) (curiously named Koxinga by the Dutch afterwards), the legendary Ming Dynasty enunch/naval explorer who extended the Chinese kingdom's reach throughout much of Asia (and some say, discovered North America before "Columbus sailed the ocean blue") But I will let the historians to debate this...

More importantly ;) lunch was about to begin at a traditional eatery:

Nostalgic Bites

Apparently simplicity and nostalgia was the menu of the day and murmurs of delight soon greeted each humble dish as it arrived:

Oyster omelette

Clam soup

More food

A pretty special dessert: Iced crispy yams
This was unlike anything I've ever eaten--yams fried and coated with sugar before being dipped into iced water. The cold crystallized the outer layer of sugar, making the entire slice delightfully crispy.