A Video Visit to Taiwan: Tea and Taipei 101!

I was delighted to see this episode of the "Bizarre Foods" series on the Travel Channel -- it's all about Taiwan! I talk about Taiwan A LOT on this blog, but seeing is better than reading or hearing, so here you go!

The first video excerpt is all about Taipei 101, that gorgeous skyscraper in the middle of Taipei. The Sibling and I also love it because it's full of shops and restaurants. The entire bottom floor is a vast food court with a huge variety of different eating options. There's also a cool supermarket. (I found Mozartkugeln there last time I went!)

Take a look. Oh, I'm hungry just thinking about it. I haven't been back there in far too long!

And after Taipei 101, do look look at the second video. It's a trip out of the mega-city Taipei to see some of Taiwan's famous tea fields, where some of the best tea in the world grows. The video shows you a bit about the well-known pouchong tea (it's very good if you've never tried it -- clear, delicate, fragrant). FYI, a pretty good company is Ten Ren, which sells Taiwanese tea in the US. Yep, I'm a tea chauvinist; I only want Taiwanese tea! (I must confess, though, that if you want dance-like artistry and serious cultural ritual along with your tea, you need to go to Japan. Taiwanese tea culture is less about elegance and refinement than about drinking some great tea.) PS: green tea ice cream ROCKS!