A former agrarian society that values flavorful food and loves to eat—Taiwan is home to world-class fine dining, streetside delicacies, foraged vegetables, indigenous spices and enough flavors for a lifetime. Because of the climate, leftovers tend to spoil quickly and the Taiwanese generally favor freshly cooked meals over anything refrigerated. As a result nearly everything in restaurants is made on the spot with fresh ingredients, which often include many hearty portions of veggies. Traditional fare, which can be found in street side stalls and upscale restaurants alike, is noodles, served dry or in a soup, with cold braised cuts of meat and steamed or boiled vegetables on the side. Famous delicacies include beef-noodle soup, steamed fish, many different tofu dishes, dumplings, and bubble tea. Due to Taiwan’s cosmopolitical nature, any urban area will most likely feature a large selection of Japanese, Korean and Chinese restaurants as well.