Throughout Taiwan, traditional snacks can be found in marketplaces and temples. These snacks are often called Miaokou snacks (snacks sold in front of temples). The snacks sold in front of Dianji Temple in Keelung have earned a word of mouth reputation and the Miaokou area has attracted more gourmets than pilgrims. Hence, this area has become a worldwide tourist attraction for tasty snacks.
Nobody knows when snack vendors started to gather in front of Dianji Temple. However, it is quite likely that vendors gathered here for more business opportunities. When people visit the temple during important festivals, puppet show and Taiwanese operas are performed in front of the temple to express their gratitude to the gods and goddesses worshipped in the temple; thus, vendors gather in the nearby area to sell food for the crowd.
According to local seniors, as early as in the late Japanese occupation period, vendors began to sell food in front of the temple on a regular basis. Some even built simple shelters there. At the same time, police would arrest street vendors selling food on today's Ren 3rd Road. Even though the population in Keelung at that time was only fifty to sixty thousand, the temple area was the business center of urban Keelung. Keelung developed rapidly in the postwar period, and the temple area prospered quickly following the expansion of the local population. As there were so many vendors, “food market” expanded to Ren 3rd Road. Finally, the entire road became a food street. Later, some vendors even sell food on Ai 4th Road.
The unique historical background of Taiwan enriches its food culture. In addition to Fukienese and Cantonese food, there is aboriginal, Dutch, Spanish and Japanese food. When the National government came to Taiwan in 1949, the food culture of mainland China was brought to Taiwan. Later, after the economic takeoff, food came into Taiwan from all parts of the world. The local people developed new food styles from all these different cuisines and the special style of Taiwanese snacks combines the local style, the Western style, Han style and more.
