Down Diagon Alley

One of the great pleasures of travel is encountering the unexpected; and when the serendipitous involves new cuisine, this pleasure is quadrupled. My own encounter with Juifun’s gastronomic Diagon Alley was all thanks to a flight cancellation. Taipei had been a short and intense work trip, so I leaped at the chance to join friends on a day out. ‘Jump on a bus and we’ll meet you there’. So like Harry Potter on the Knight Bus, with little idea where I was headed, I set off. I was dropped at a bend on a hillside with spectacular views of the coast below. ‘Welcome to Juifun’. My friends led the way into the main alley, our eyes adjusting after the dazzling sunshine. We had plunged into a bustling neon-signed tunnel, lit by red lanterns and lined with stalls piled with the strange and the fantastical; giant whelks, slabs of glutinous sweetmeats, codfish pastries with seaweed. Steam rose from bubbling vats adding to the air of mystery. Like conjurers, aware of an audience yet focused on their task, culinary magicians deftly rolled, chopped and dipped with lightening speed. Unfamiliar aromas assailed my senses; acrid squid, pungent spices, unidentified parcels. ‘You must try these, they are delicious’. A hot pancake filled with sweet taro dripped down my fingers and awakened my taste buds. Next, we sampled enormous grilled fungi, then yuyuan, taro balls, herbal cakes and fresh guava juice. On and on we ate, mixing sweet and savoury, refreshing and tongue tingling. At each stand, a new enticing gastronomic treat. Finally, we collapsed, sated and content in the old teahouse that inspired Spirited Away; to contemplate the view and some unhurried tea drinking. And hear tales of a gold mining past. In a short few hours, I learned so much. The Taiwanese are passionate about food; they expect fresh ingredients and lots of variety. Their chefs are wizards, cooking is a magic show and eating, an adventure. My head was as full as my stomach. It had been a truly magical day.