TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To tap into the busy Muslim travel market, Liuhe Night Market in Kaohsiung is assisting several street food stalls to secure Halal certification to enable Muslim tourists to explore Taiwanese cuisine with peace of mind.
The night market is collaborating with the International Muslim Tourism Industry Development Association (IMTIDA) to help an increasing number of Muslim-friendly street food vendors process foods that meet the requirements of Islamic law, making them suitable for consumption by members of the faith.
A total of 10 participating street food vendors are being provided with subsidies and technical assistance to ensure that their foods and services are in compliance with Islamic requirements. This, in turn, will bring them greater recognition among Muslim night market-goers.
The 10 vendors include Liuhe Papaya Milk, King Soybean Pudding, Cheese Shrimp Quail Egg, Sugar Coated Sweet Potato, Yummy Stinky Tofu, Grandma Grilled Corn, Lin's Shaved Ice, Weishin Nougat, Lemon-Flavor Fig Jelly, and Chiao-wei-ting Deep-Fried King Oyster Mushroom.
The number of halal-certified establishments in Taiwan has been growing, highlighting government efforts to transform the country into a Muslim-friendly destination as well as to make tourism a cash cow for the country.
Government statistics show that approximately 240,000 Southeast Asian visitors arrived in Taiwan in October alone, with over 2 million overall estimated to have visited the country in 2019. Among these tourists, Muslims account for 15 percent and are believed to have brought in NT$2 billion.
