WuShihBi Cape seen behind the DongAo Bay, from the SuHua Highway, a scenic drive on the east coast of Taiwan. Photo by Fred Hsu,

Feeling overcast? You just might love Taiwan. This tropical island east of China is  a mountainous land, where you’ll find clouds and the whipping rains common with monsoons.  This week we explore the food that dots along the 13,902 square miles of this small nation.

But don’t get the wrong idea; just because she’s small (about the size of Massachusetts), doesn’t mean the people are few and far between. The opposite is true, in fact. There are 1,600 people per square mile which makes Taiwan one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

The night scene of Taipei Neihu Technology Park, adjacent to Keelung River. Photo by nicola520.

Personally, I’d love to climb to the top of Jade Mountain (the highest mountain in Asia), and look over the stunning (steaming?) beauty of Taiwan.

YuShan (Jade Mountain). Photo by Peellden.

Taiwanese food is a melting pot of various Chinese ethnicities, which is reflected in the food. There’s everything from hot pots (where meats and veggies are cooked at the table, then enjoyed with an array of sauces), to fried noodles and rice, and duck smoked over tea leaves.

If you’re feeling a bit more Japanese, you’ll be in good company; the Taiwanese love sushi [recipe], sashimi and tempura.

Maps and flag courtesy of the CIA World Factbook. Photo of the Siouguluan River in Taiwan, by prattflora.

The meal can end with any number of treats, especially fresh fruit (pineapple is one favorite), but no trip to Taiwan would be complete without the beloved Bào Bīng, a frozen slushie of sorts, made with crushed ice and any number of toppings, from fruit, to ice cream, to red beans [recipe].

Hello.

A treat like that will bring on the sunshine, no matter how cloudy the weather.