So, I have a question for you guys. Did you know that Taiwan has something called “tomato shaved ice” ?!
At shaved ice shops in Taiwan, I often see people eating sliced tomatoes with a ginger-infused sauce. So I was wondering… is tomato shaved ice something like that…??
Honestly, I couldn’t even imagine what it would taste like, so I decided to go try it for myself!!
It’s less than a 10-minute trip from Hamuya, and since it’s open from lunchtime until late in the evening, you can stop by whenever you’re in the mood!!
And when you step inside…
This is what it looks like inside! It has such a cute, retro vibe!!
They even had something that looked like a Japanese sword!
And then…
The menu has everything from shaved ice and cakes to savory dishes, so even if you’re not a big fan of sweets, there’s something for you!!
A Wide Variety of Menu Options
Here’s a look at the full menu…
【Shaved Ice】
They even have shaved ice made with alcohol!! 🍧✨ (^▽^)/
【Drinks】
For some reason, I completely forgot to take a photo of this part of the menu…（´;ω;｀）
They also have a variety of tea and soda options!!
【Sweets】
【Savory】
The menu also has Japanese and English, so you can order without worrying about any language barriers♪
And Now, for the Main Event… 🍅 With so many items on the menu, I almost forgot what I came here for…
But today’s highlight is:
梅漬番茄冰 (Plum-Marinated Tomato Shaved Ice) 🍅
At first, I thought it would just be a simple combination of tomatoes and shaved ice.
But apparently, it’s shaved ice topped with sweet tomatoes that have been marinated in a plum syrup !!
Ta-daーー!!
The plate was surrounded by lots of sweet and tangy tomatoes🍅
And the black stuff on top… was it plum…? Shiso…???
The sauce was a brown sugar sauce, and it was SO good !!
As for my thoughts on the flavor…
Hmmm……🤔
It’s definitely a flavor that might be a little hit-or-miss!!!!! (Honestly)
I had never tried this combination before, so at first I was thinking,
“Does this really go together…??”
It was definitely a little strange and confusing at first😂
But the more I ate, the more I started thinking,“Wait… this might actually be pretty good～～”
Before I knew it, I was getting hooked on the flavor!!
And actually, there were three other groups of customers at the shop besides me, and every single one of them ordered this shaved ice !
So I started wondering if this is actually a familiar and nostalgic flavor for people in Taiwan!!!
And it turns out, there’s a good reason for that…Apparently, people in Taiwan have been enjoying tomatoes with plums for a long time!!There’s even a traditional treat called 番茄夾話梅 (Tomato with Huamei Plum) , where a large tomato is stuffed with “Huamei,” a sweet, sour, and salty dried plum .Apparently, tomatoes in the past weren’t as naturally sweet as the ones we have today, so people would balance the sourness of the tomatoes with the sweetness and saltiness of the dried plums!!!
🍅 Conclusion
At first, I wondered, “Do tomatoes and shaved ice really go together?”
But after trying it for myself, I was pleasantly surprised! The sweet and tangy flavor of the plum paired really well with the refreshing taste of the tomatoes and the shaved ice.
And what I found most interesting was that the combination of “tomatoes × plums” is actually a traditional way of eating tomatoes that has been enjoyed in Taiwan for a long time !!!
So if you ever visit Tainan, why not give this nostalgic Taiwanese flavor a try?
You might be surprised by how much you like tomato shaved ice! 😌🎶
Thank you so much for reading this blog post!!
Until next time, stay safe, everyone!!
I went to a cat café in Tainan! 😸
