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Yilan, Taiwan
I just returned back to the States after 11 years in Taiwan with my daughter. Taiwan is an excellent base for us explore Asia, while living in relative (gun free) safety, while benefiting from a cheap and efficient national health care system. The people are amazing too. I have Taiwanese friendships that are 20 years old and I'm always making new ones! My coworker here in CO is from Taiwan.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

You Scream, I Scream, We all Scream: Ice-cream in Tainan



Summer is slowly, very slowly fading. We couldn't have made it without regular intervals of ice cream treats. Ice cream in Taiwan is fun, there are some funky flavors. The ones I like that are normal flavors are, peanut, pineapple, green tea and green tea mixes, red bean, green bean, and  taro (purple potato), just to name a few. On Penghu we had yucca which was exciting.

If all these flavors seem too exotic--like red bean and green tea one of my favorites, there are the more common flavors chocolate, strawberry, vanilla. There is Haagan Daaz at the supermarkets, if you miss that creamy decadence. There is Cold Stone at  Mitzokoshi and Frozen Yogurt (our personal favorite). Recently, I noticed RT-Mart selling Russian ice cream, which I am meaning to try. If you are ever in Kenting, go check out the Aquarium, there is a Turkish guy who works the crowds, probably the happiest guy I've seen selling gooey Turkish ice cream.



One of our favorite places for ice-cream besides the Frozen Yogurt place at the mall is on Nanmen Road  across from the Confucius Temple. There is a small mom and pop's place next to a used book store cafe, that makes some refreshing ice-creams. They must use skim milk, as its not very creamy to a westerner's palate but flavorful nonetheless- and cheap. Three scoops sets you back like 30NT (1  buck).-

Across from the Confucius temple on Nanmen Rd.

An off the wall place to have a cold treat is just literally down my street. Inside an American naval, battleship that since retired in the port by my house, there is an ice cream shop. They sell it by the pint or stick. Today I bought a pint of red dragon fruit for 25NT, Z had her favorite mint chocolate chip.



Nice place for an ice-cream and catch the sunset

Taiwanese people in accordance to Chinese Traditional Medicine, do not really eat so much ice-cream as eating cold foods is considered unhealthy and makes disease. Half the kids in my class are not allowed to eat it (a crime against humanity!). Z lives for ice-cream so I don't make it forbidden (like soda, which I might let her have half a can of root beer twice a year). But ice-cream? If she is healthy I don't see the harm, especially in this humid heat.

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