10 Best Nantou Foods Everyone Should Try

Millet omelette is a popular street food item in Nantou. Although it's called "millet", there is no millet in a millet omelette here. It was simply named so by sellers and it's more of an egg pancake than an omelette. Millet omelette is inexpensive, and the dough is handmade on site. The sellers roll the dough in front of the customers, and their skilful action attracts the crowd's attention. 

The dough is put into hot oil and quickly turns into a crispy golden pastry, to which fresh eggs, chopped scallions, and finally a special black pepper sauce are added. The combination of crispy pastry and egg is most appetising, and the taste is enriched by the chopped scallions. With rich and spicy sauces, you will want to have a second one as soon as you finish the first. Millet omelette is popular in Nantou and it’s a common sight where locals queue patiently for them.

Assam tea cheesecake is a must-try when you come to Nantou. This dessert has a strong black tea aroma. Each chef has his or her own cheesecake recipe, so each cheesecake that you try may have a unique flavour and taste. The most distinctive feature of Nantou cheesecake is the addition of Assam tea produced in Yuchi, Nantou. The blending of the rich tea aroma with the cheesecake creates this delicate dessert. 

When sampling the dessert, first appreciate the colour of the black tea and its unique aroma, then take a bite to enjoy the dense and firm texture. If you look carefully, you'll notice tiny black specks scattered in the crumb of the cake. That's the Nantou Assam tea powder. It’s a good chance to try the unforgettable local taste of Nantou in addition to experiencing the superior quality achieved by the tea farmers and the careful baking of the pastry chefs.

Sweet Assam tea egg rolls are must-tries when visiting Sun Moon Lake. Locally grown Assam tea is added to the egg rolls, and the emphasis is on fresh same-day production without artificial ingredients. They appeal to people of all ages with their pure aroma of black tea. The ingredients of Assam tea egg rolls are quite simple: vegetable oil, sugar, flour, eggs and Assam tea. They are made and wrapped up on-site by the sellers, and watching the process is enough to whet your appetite. 

The colour of Assam tea egg rolls comes from the dark brown of black tea. The egg rolls are crisp and refreshing and the strong Assam tea aroma fills your mouth with every bite, and one is usually never enough. Enjoy the wonderful flavours and aromas right beside Sun Moon Lake. The treat and the beautiful scenery and will make your trip to Nantou all the more memorable.

Nantou is a tea country, with hills, basins and plateaus. The temperature difference between day and night is large, and the area is often covered in clouds and mist. This has made it an excellent natural environment for tea production. Nantou’s tea production is considerable in both area size and the types of tea grown.

Due to its high economic value, tea has become an important Nantou commodity. The Nantou Global Tea Expo is a grand event held yearly here. While it’s mainly for local tea farmers, it always attracts a large number of visitors. There are many kinds of Nantou tea, including black tea and green tea, each with different flavours. Nantou teas from the pristine high mountains are hailed by tea experts. The light tea aroma would be one of the best souvenirs of your wonderful journey to Nantou.

OMAR single malt whisky, expertly brewed by Nantou Distillery, makes an excellent souvenir, is suitable as part of your own collection or as gifts for relatives and friends. The name "OMAR" was taken from the Scottish word for amber, reflecting the deep honey colour of single malt whisky. 

In 2008, Nantou Distillery imported customised copper pot distilling equipment from Britain, then imported malt and other equipment from Germany and began carefully brewing OMAR single malt whisky. In just a few years, this whisky won a succession of awards in international whisky competitions. Nantou whisky thus become globally renowned and has amazed many professional tasters. OMAR single malt whisky has adopted an exclusive lychee liqueur barrel finishing technique. Rich in tropical fruit aroma and mellow in taste, it is quite unique and refreshing.