Streets lined with delicious night market stalls, traditional shops and tantalizing tea stalls, Taiwan is a feast for all the senses. Filling your suitcase as full as possible with gifts and souvenirs to reminisce of your time on the island is a must. Here are some of the best things you don't want to leave Taiwan without buying.
Oolong Tea
Taiwan is famous for its high mountain oolong tea, with one of the most famous kinds being the tea picked around Alishan. The tea is more floral and smoother, with a long-lasting aftertaste that has made this style of tea famous. You can find shops selling high mountain oolong tea or other Taiwanese variants all over Taipei.
Not only is oolong tea delicious, it's also quite healthy, providing many of the health benefits associated with green tea but with much more flavor. If you've tried green tea and just feel it isn't quite strong enough, be sure to give Taiwanese oolong a sample.
Chuan-shang Tea Store (全祥茶莊) No.58 Heng Yang Road, Taipei, Taiwan
Pineapple Cakes
The quintessential souvenir from Taiwan, pineapple cakes are delicious, cheap and found all over the island nation. This crumbly, buttery pastry is filled with a fruity pineapple jam that bursts with flavor as you bite into it. Wherever you decide to buy them, they're usually always packaged in a gift box which makes it perfectly suitable to buy as a gift.
They also match perfectly with a cup of freshly brewed oolong tea and make for a wonderful pair of souvenirs to bring back either for yourself or as gifts.
Popular shop: Chia Te Bakery (佳德), No. 88, Section 5, Nanjing East Rd, Taipei 105, Taiwan
Taiwanese Jade Products
This precious stone is a beautiful shade of green, Taiwanese jade in particular is sought after around the world for its high quality. As you can find the real deal for much cheaper inside Taiwan than in other countries, it's a great idea to buy some jade related items as a gift or for yourself.
Just be sure to check you're not getting fake jade, which unfortunately many of the tourist shops tend to carry. Look for the government sponsored shops if you're buying expensive products, to be sure you're getting genuine jade.
Taiwanese Coffee Beans
Taiwan might be famous for its delicious tea, however unknown to most people, Taiwan has been growing coffee for centuries. Planted by the Dutch colonists back in the 1600s, it never took off amongst the locals, until when Taiwan was under Japanese rule during which they started coffee farms all over the island. The weather in Taiwan is perfect for growing coffee, and gives it a unique aroma and flavor known for being sweet and fruity.
While locally grown coffee can be a little pricey due to the small production yield, buying a small bag of coffee beans is still relatively cheap as a gift to bring back home. There are a number of coffee shops in Taipei that sell coffee beans from places like Alishan, Gukeng and Taitung.
Kavalan Whisky
Taiwan's Kavalan shot to fame after beating several Scotch whiskies in a blind tasting back in 2010, since then their bottlings have won several awards around the world, propelling Taiwan into the world of whisky. They're particularly known for producing young aged whisky with similar profiles to that twice their age made in Scotland, due to the hot climate allowing for faster maturation. If bringing back a whole bottle seems a little space-hogging in your luggage, you can pick up some of the small tasting bottles or the special gift set that has each of their popular whiskies in test-tube like containers.
Taiwanese Peanut Nougat
Another delicious Taiwanese snack, this extra chewy peanut nougat is a little different to its western equivalent. While nowadays you can find various different flavors of Taiwanese nougat to try, the classic peanut studded flavor is highly recommended. Like most snacks and sweets you can buy here it's also great for eating with Taiwanese oolong tea.
As it lasts for quite a while after purchase, it makes for a great gift or something to enjoy yourself long after returning from your trip.
Where to Buy Souvenirs in Taipei
If you're looking for somewhere to buy souvenirs in Taipei before leaving for the airport, the capital's transport hub of Taipei Main Station has a huge underground mall filled with souvenir shops. Apart from souvenirs you'll find all kinds of items such as clothes and designer bags too sold there. It's great for if you need to buy some souvenirs with little time left to spend.
Go here for the ultimate list of things to do in Taiwan.