空心菜kōngxīncài空心菜kōngxīncài – Water Spinach: Its name literally means “hollow heart vegetable” because of its hollow stems. It is incredibly crunchy and is universally loved by foreigners and locals alike. It is usually stir-fried simply with heaps of garlic.

水蓮shuǐlián水莲shuǐlián – White Water Snowflake: This vegetable looks like very long, thin green strings. Once you try it, you’ll fall in love! It has an incredibly crisp texture that doesn’t go soggy when cooked, and is often stir-fried with shredded pork and ginger.

地瓜葉dìguāyè红薯叶hóngshǔyè – Sweet Potato Leaves: In early Taiwanese history, times were tough and people ate sweet potato leaves because they were cheap and easy to grow. Today, they are prized for being highly nutritious! Very soft and slightly earthy, often blanched and topped with soy sauce paste and crispy fried shallots.

茭白筍jiǎobáisǔn茭白jiāobái – Water Bamboo: Often called “beauty’s legs” (美人腿měiréntuǐ美人腿měiréntuǐ) due to its pale, elegant appearance. It tastes like a sweet, tender cross between bamboo shoots and asparagus.

山蘇shānsū山苏shānsū – Bird’s-nest Fern: Curled, bright green fern fronds that are crunchy and slightly bitter. A classic aboriginal dish, typically stir-fried with small dried fish (小魚乾xiǎoyúgān小鱼干xiǎoyúgān) and black bean sauce.

過貓guòmāo过猫guòmāo – Vegetable Fern: These fiddlehead ferns have a soft and slightly slimy (mucilaginous) texture. In Taiwan, they are famously served cold and topped with mayonnaise or a raw egg yolk to bind the flavors.

龍鬚菜lóngxūcài龙须菜lóngxūcài – Chayote Leaves: Translates to “Dragon’s whiskers” because of its curly tendrils. It is incredibly nutritious, packed with dietary fiber and iron. It’s crunchy and fresh, often stir-fried with garlic or served cold with sesame sauce.

川七chuānqī川七chuānqī – Madeira Vine: Heart-shaped leaves with a slightly thick and slippery texture. It’s considered very healthy for the stomach and is almost exclusively stir-fried with sesame oil and ginger (麻油川七máyóu chuānqī麻油川七máyóu chuānqī).