關於愛，我是個小學生。

Read this article, and you will know a bunch of specific English translations of indigenous tearms or jargons by native speakers in Taiwan. Worth learning!

Whenever people talk about Keelung, they instantly connect their image to one of the Taiwan’s most renowned nightmarket, Miaokou Night Market (廟口夜市). Throngs of (一大群的) people, endless choices of Taiwanese food, seafood, and snacks are some of the best pronouns of Keelung (基隆最佳的代名詞).

The History of Miaokou Snacks
There are so many famous night markets and fair sites (廟會市集) in Taiwan. It mostly developed and brought by the prosperities (盛行) of the auspicious incenses (進香團) in the temples. This place has attracted many locals and foreign tourists; inevitably, it becomes one of the most famous tour sites for all the gourmands (老饕必訪之處). The renowned Miaokou Nightmarket is located in front of afamous temple, Dianji Temple (奠濟宮).

The uniqueness of Taiwanese cuisine (台灣料理) was richly blended globally (融合了世界各地的料理風味). With the basis of Fukien and Cantaonese, others were also mixed in with the touch of aboriginals (台灣原住民料理口味), The Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese. This
internationalization has made Taiwanese cuisine especially unique and exotic. One may try out their taste bud (味蕾) at the center of international cuisine (世界小吃薈萃), Miaokou of Keelung.

With the scores of (成群的) delicious food stalls (小吃攤), one might have to decide which ones fit their appetite. (各處試試，看合不合口味。) Keelung Miaokou Nightmarket has been re-organized (重新整頓). There is a distinctive number (專屬編號) for each stall, which made it easier to identify your favorite ones (以便識別).

Tempura (甜不辣)
Taiwan Tempura is the same as the「てんぷら」from Kansai (關西地區), Japan. It’s a fish paste (魚漿) made food cooked by deep frying (油炸). Taiwan Tempura is covered with hot & sweet sauce (甜辣醬) for flavoring (調味).

Stewed (燉) Pork in Bun (控肉掛包)
This dish could be also called “tiger eats pork” (虎咬豬) because the bun looks like a tiger’s month with pork inside). The main ingredient of this dish is by using steamed bun (饅頭；掛包) then adds in stew pork, oily (五花肉) or lean meat (里脊肉). Lastly it is added with the pickles (泡菜), peanuts sugar power (花生粉), and coriander leaves (香菜). Then it becomes one yummy Chinese hamburger (好吃的台式漢堡).

Four Gods Soup (四神湯)
The main herbal ingredients (中藥材成分) of Four Gods Soup are poriao cocos (茯苓), Chinese yam (山藥), semen euryales (芡實), dried lotus seeds (蓮子) and seeds of job’s tears (薏仁). The soup is then added with sub-ingredients like pork stomach (豬肚) or intestines (豬腸). This herbal mending soup (進補湯藥) is good for the kidney and enhances the absorption of our gastro and intestine (促進腸胃吸收) for strengthening them.

Glutinous Rice Dumpling (肉粽)
First stir-fried (炒) the sticky rice (糯米) then add ingredients such as stir-fired mushrooms (香菇), salty duck egg (鹹蛋), dried shrimps (蝦米), dry radish (菜埔), and stewed pork (滷肉), lastly all stuffed in bamboo leaves and make it a Glutinous rice dumpling. This is a very important traditional festive snack (傳統節慶佳餚) for the Chinese.

Deep Fried Pork Filet Sandwich (豬扒包)
Even though sandwich is all around the world, yett one should definitely not miss out (錯過) the sandwich of Keelung. It use golden toasted toasts (炸成金黃色的吐司), spread butter (美乃滋), peanut butter, and stuff slices of stew egg (滷蛋), tomato slices, ham, and most importantly, grilled pork filet (炸豬排). This snack looks simple but one will be surprised with its top quality taste (頂級滋味).

Nutritious Sandwich (營養三明治)
The deep fried bread is then added with cucumber, salad, tomato, stew egg. This Nutritious sandwich looks like a small version of a sub (潛艇堡的縮小版). Don’t underestimate it, during weekends; patrons have to line up in number order for this yummy snack.

Taiwanese Oil Bun (芋粿)
By using taro (芋頭) as its main filling, Taiwanese Oil Bun may also add a flavor of coriander. It’s another delicacy snack (美味點心).

Dingbiancuo (鼎邊銼)
This is one of the most famous dishes in Maiokou of Keelung. “Ding” means big wok (大鍋子). “cuo” in Taiwanese means stirring (攪拌). The main ingredient for this dish is soybean milk (豆漿). Generally, the chef cooks and stirs the wok with soybean milk by adding black fungus (黑木耳；wood ear；tree ear), day lily (金針；day lily flower), mushroom, dried shrimp and oyster until the whole wok is cooked and ready to serve.

Chicken Roll (雞捲)
Chicken roll is actually made with bean curd skin (豆皮) to roll vegetables and pork meat inside. People might wonder,” Where is the chicken?” the answer is that in the ancient time when people are really frugal (節儉的), the just fried bean curd skin with vegetables inside and keep in stock (積存起來). "Chicken” has a similar pronunciation of Taiwanese “Much” (台語「雞」與「多」同音。), so here is how the name later developed.

Bean Curd Sign (譯者按：翻作 Vigna Umbellata Noodle 較佳) Thick Soup (豆簽羹)
This so-called “Bean Curd Sign” is made of rice bean (紅豆；譯者按：此應為原文「米豆」誤譯；米豆，學名 Vigna Umbellata；產於台灣南部，狀似黃豆，有黑斑。). After processing, it becomes [similar to] rice noodles (米粉). It’s very rich in protein. In Keelung Miaokou, this cooked by adding other ingredients like oysters, pork intestine, shredded shrimp (碎蝦米), and cuttlefish (透抽；squid). By adding some black vinegar (黑醋) and pepper, it becomes one healthy and delicious food.

Creamy Crab (奶油螃蟹)
This dish is originated from (源於) Keelung Miacho Nightmarket. By using a whole chunk of (整大塊的) butter for cooking or baking, the ready-to-eat (快速料理的) creamy crab is not just creamy (多膏的) and buttery (油亮的) but one may also taste the sweet freshness (甘鮮滋味) of the crab.

Seafood Porridge (海產粥)
By using freshly catch (現捕的；譯者按：應作 freshly-caught) seafood cooked in porridge plus an egg. All the essence of the seafood (海鮮的精華) is in this porridge. This dish is especially popular and easier to find around the coastal areas.

Day Lily Spare Ribs (金針排骨)
Day lily flower is a very nutritious food; it has the effect to smoothen our lungs (潤肺), rich in iron (富含鐵質). In Taiwan, day lily flower is often cooked with pork spare ribs (帶肉排骨). What can I say? It’s just a very delicious and nutritious soup bowl (煲湯).

Crab Legs (炒蟹腳)
We can see the inseparable connection with residents of Keelung and port  by the proof of Miaokou seafood snacks. (廟口的海鮮小吃，正說明了基隆人和他們所依存的港口密不可分。) One can see shrimp, crabs, fish, shellfish (蚌) everywhere cooked in their own special flavor. Crab legs is one the most distinguish ones.

Braised (慢燉) Eel Thick Soup (鰻魚羹)
The cooking steps are cut[ting] the eel into small pieces first and spread [dressing] on specially-made sauce (淋上特製醬料) onto the eel and deep fry[ing] it to keep the freshness of the fish. Lastly, add other ingredients like mushrooms, bok choy (【粵】白菜), coriander leave, and seasoning in a thick starch (勾芡) soup. A sweet Braised Eel Thick Soup is then ready to chow down (吞下肚裡).

Eight Treasures Green [Soy] [Threads] (八寶冬粉)
The eight treasures are these ingredients: bamboo shoot (竹筍), mushroom, winter mushroom (針菇), black fungus, cabbage, dried bean curd (豆腐乾), nostic flageliforme (譯者按：可能為「髮菜」dried black moss 之筆誤), and squid. The [green soy threads] suck up all the flavor and juices from the ingredients (吸收了全部食材，原汁原味。) to make this dish a summer delight (夏季美食).

Original Sauce Pork Knuckles (豬腳原汁專家)
Pork Knuckles (豬腳) contain a lot of gelatin (膠質). Many Taiwan snack dishes use it as their main ingredient. The original sauce pork knuckles comes in variety of choices. One may eat it alone, or add a bowl of soup or even add some thin noodles (麵線), either way is delectable (好吃的).

Fresh Seafood (現撈海產)
Fresh seafood Taiwanese cuisine restaurants in Keelung are filled with throng of people. Freshly stir-fried, alcohol and cigarettes are allowed; these kinds of restaurants are for customers who just want to have a good time.

Snacks (其他小吃)
It’s quite impossible to try out all the food specialties (當地特選) here. Another way to fulfill one’s appetite is to grab some bites (淺嚐) at the snacks.

Grilled Squid Legs (烤魷魚)
Charcoal Grilled (碳烤) Squid Legs are chewy (有嚼勁的) and delicious with some special seasonings.

Wine Spiral Shells (燒酒螺)
Wine Spiral Shells are made marinated in garlic, chili, and home-made soy sauce (自製醬料). This snack will definitely make one suck on them [one] after another (忍不住一個接著一個地吸吮).

One Bite Sausage (一口吃小香腸)
Comparing with the super large sausage in Shilin Night Market (士林夜市), One Bite Sausage seems friendlier (容易入口多了). One bite of the sausage with a bite of fresh garlic is the best combination.

Bubble Ice (泡泡冰)
The vendor insists on order-to-make fashion (業者堅持現點現做的風格), this hand-stirred filled with great ingredients bubble ice (用料豐富的手攪泡泡冰) might give one a longer wait. However, it’s definitely worth the wait during a hot summer season with its smooth and melt-in-one’s mouth texture (入口即化的綿密口感).

Questions:
1. What will be your favorite food if you go to Keelung night market?
A: I prefer fresh seafood. As for other food specialties there, you also can have the same taste somewhere else the Keelung Temple Night Market. However, only by the port can people enjoy the freshest flavors of on-coast seafood.

2. Is there a place in Keelung that you suggest visitors to go beside Keelung night market?
A: It is the Keelung Port proper. Parking aside the dock, standing against the rails, facing the salty breeze blended with slight diesel smell, and enjoying the splendid views of radiant golden sunset glow, I, at the spur of the moment, experienced the beauty of the Nature harmonious with human civilizations.