Taipei''s Nanmen Market is an epicurean''s favorite destination, and it''s always packed in the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year. But now shoppers have an alternative: shop online! As many as 70 traditional New Year''s dishes are on offer at the click of a mouse. For the third year in a row, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je was at the popular market to boost its holiday sales. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je was giving an endorsement today, but this time not for a candidate. He was at Nanmen Market to promote its Lunar New Year dishes. Ko Wen-jeTaipei MayorMy knowledge of Nanmen Market stems from my wife Chen Pei-chi, who works at the nearby Women and Children Campus of Taipei City Hospital. She comes here to buy things on the way to and from work. Ko sat down before a sumptuous feast made up of 12 dishes and one soup, to get an early taste of the annual family meal around the hearth. One particular dish caught everyone''s attention. The ready-cooked dishes of Nanmen Market have always been popular Lunar New Year fare for many denizens of Taipei. This year, shoppers have the option of purchasing online to avoid the crowds. More than 70 dishes are on offer on the market''s website, with home delivery available.But which dish is the mayor''s favorite?It turned out to be ham hock, which he also named as his favorite last year. The mayor''s endorsement looks certain to boost sales of the popular dish, as well as the market that''s selling it.
