The tang gui soup, which has a sweet tanginess, is also the result of long experience. "You have to get the proportions exactly right," Tsai said. "When other people make it, it just doesn't taste the same." The balance between the medicinal herbs and the meat is what makes the soup so delicious. And the thin mian hsian noodles are handmade, so that even after a long time in the pot they remain firm and chewy.
Lian Family Pig's Trotter Noodles(連家豬腳麵線)
Opposite 66 Raoho St.(饒河街) in the Raoho Street night market (饒河街觀光夜市), no telephone. Open:5:30pm-12:30am; Average meal:NT$70; no English menu; no credit cards.
Talk of pig's trotters and most people immediately think of congealed lumps of gelatinous skin and fat, often blackened with syrupy soy sauce. For some this is pig heaven, but for others, just looking is enough to take away their appetite.
The Lian family recipe for preparing pig's trotters is an ideal way to become aquatinted with this important Chinese dish -- pig's trotters with mian hsian noodles -- which is eaten at many important social events as a symbol of longevity and good fortune.
Lian An-yu (連安裕) is the second generation to run this inconspicuous stall which is almost overwhelmed by the anarchy of awnings and flashy stalls and shops around it. This doesn't prevent a steady stream of customers filling its 10 or so seats or carrying the food out. The stand has held its place in this bustling night market for nearly 10 years.
The mian hsian used in the stall's signature dish are pure white. The ingredients, whether you select trotters, shoulder meat with skin or lean meat, all are a creamy white. For first timers, the shoulder meat with skin is recommended, which, despite the thick layer of fat, does not taste the least bit oily.
The stock, which is made from trotters, rice wine, ginger and a secret mixture of Chinese medicinal herbs, makes a nutritious soup, with plenty of calcium and gelatins. The stall also offers cold noodles with its own special sesame and garlic sauce ideal for hot evenings.
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