Breaking the Fast: Choices Aplenty in Taiwan

With the enormous range of breakfast choices now available, it's hard to believe that plain rice congee was the standard fare for most households in Taiwan a generation ago. If you didn't eat at home, the local soya milk breakfast store was probably the only other option. Serving deep-fried oil sticks, rice balls and steamed buns, these early-morning eateries continue to draw hungry late-night revelers and early birds today.

Things began to change in the 1980s, with McDonald's opening its doors in 1984 and other Western-style fast-food eateries quickly following suit. Local breakfast chains also began sprouting up, with the Mei & Mei franchise being the trendsetter. Traditional Chinese crepes were no longer limited to the plain variety. Fillings ranging from bacon, tuna and –– in a sure sign of Westernized palates –– processed cheese became increasingly popular. These days, hole-in-the-wall breakfast stores can be found in the nooks and crannies of towns and cities island-wide. Look out for the red and yellow shop fronts that often indicate their presence. The food at most of these places is a synthesis of Western and Chinese, with chicken nuggets sitting alongside radish cakes.

In addition to the cheap and cheerful stores, an increasing number of high-end diners and cafes can now be found in Taiwan's cities, with many foreign-owned establishments serving up genuine Western-style breakfasts. However, if you're scrimping and saving, you can't do much better than a couple of shuijianbao –– pan fried buns that are available for as little as NT$10 apiece.

台式早餐美味大搜查

由於現在早餐的選擇範圍很大，實在很難相信簡單的稀飯在一個世代以前還是台灣多數家庭的標準早餐。如果你不在家裡吃早餐，那麼本土豆漿店大概是以前唯一的選擇。這些大清早就開張的小吃店供應油條、飯糰和饅頭，至今仍吸引著飢腸轆轆的深夜狂歡者與早起人士。

情況在一九八○年代開始有所改變，麥當勞在一九八四年開張，而其他西式速食餐館也迅速跟進。本土的早餐連鎖店也開始如雨後春筍般紛紛冒出，由美而美加盟早餐店引領潮流。傳統中式蛋餅不再侷限於單純的原味。培根、鮪魚以及明顯受到西方喜好影響的加工乳酪等餡料越來越受歡迎。現在，全台各地的小鎮與城市的各個角落也都能找到小型複合式早餐店。找尋有著紅黃相間的店面就能發現它們。這類早餐店的餐點大多中西融合，可同時看到雞塊與蘿蔔糕擺在一塊。

除了充滿歡樂氣氛的平價早餐店，現在台灣各城市中也有越來越多高級餐館與咖啡廳，其中許多是外國人經營的餐廳，供應道地的西式早餐。不過，如果你要省吃儉用的話，吃幾顆水煎包無疑是最佳選擇——水煎包就是以平底鍋煎成的包子，一顆要價只需新台幣十元。

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