Taiwanese Salt-and-Pepper Fried Chicken

30-second overview: Salt-and-pepper fried chicken is the defining icon of Taiwan's late-night food aesthetic. In 1975, the Ximending-based brand "Taiwan's First" (台灣第一家) pushed it from a pushcart snack into the franchise-chain era¹. The making process is distinctive: choose your ingredients from a glass display case, fast-fry at medium-high heat, and finish with fresh nine-layer basil tossed in the moment the food leaves the oil. Compared with Japanese karaage's pursuit of the ingredient's purity, salt-and-pepper fried chicken is a heavy-seasoning, heavy-aromatic composite experience—and a concrete vessel for Taiwan's overtime culture and "reward culture."

When night falls across Taiwan, the streets begin to carry the fragrance of fried food. The long queues in front of salt-and-pepper fried chicken stalls are the most familiar scene in Taiwan's night life. This dish, which looks simple on the surface, holds within it a complex set of social and cultural codes. Developed since the 1970s, it has become the defining icon of Taiwanese late-night food aesthetics.¹

The Sociology of the Fried Chicken Stall

A salt-and-pepper fried chicken stall is the social center of the Taiwanese night. Unlike the formality of a proper restaurant, these stalls feel more like a neighborhood gathering place. The brand "Taiwan's First" (台灣第一家), founded in Ximending, Taipei in 1975, was an important driving force in transforming salt-and-pepper fried chicken from a pushcart snack into a franchised chain.¹

The stall's design has its own clever logic. A glass display case shows a range of ingredients: chicken, tempura fish cake, cauliflower, green beans, king oyster mushrooms — the dizzying array of options means everyone can find a combination they love. This "choose-your-own" model gives customers a sense of participation, adding pleasure to the act of ordering.

What's most interesting is the queuing culture. The lines at salt-and-pepper fried chicken stalls are often long, but rarely does anyone show impatience. Everyone seems to understand that good salt-and-pepper fried chicken is worth waiting for. This patience reflects Taiwanese devotion to good food, and embodies a philosophy of slow living that persists within a fast-paced society.

From Selection to Out of the Fryer: The Ritual of Taiwanese Fried Food

Ordering salt-and-pepper fried chicken is full of ritual. Customers take tongs and a paper bag and carefully make their selections in front of the glass case. Taiwanese salt-and-pepper fried chicken is typically cooked using medium-high heat fast-frying, making the skin crispy while keeping the interior tender. According to culinary historical accounts, a salt-and-pepper chicken stall established on Youai Street in Tainan in 1979 is considered one of the prototypes of modern salt-and-pepper fried chicken that cut meat into small pieces for ease of eating.

The seasoning stage is the climax of the whole process. Pepper powder, chili powder, minced garlic — but most important of all is that handful of fresh nine-layer basil (jiucengta). When nine-layer basil hits high-temperature fried food, it rapidly releases its fragrance; this distinctive aroma is the soul of Taiwanese salt-and-pepper fried chicken.¹

Nine-Layer Basil: The Soul of Taiwanese Fried Food

Nine-layer basil (Ocimum basilicum) plays an important role in Taiwanese cuisine, and in salt-and-pepper fried chicken it is an irreplaceable element. This herb, originally from India, came to Taiwan through migration and gradually integrated into the local food culture.

Taiwan's nine-layer basil has a distinctive aroma — more intense than Italian basil. When fresh nine-layer basil meets the hot oil straight from the fryer, a chemical reaction occurs, releasing complex aromatic compounds. This fragrance is at once herbally fresh and faintly spicy, and it balances the richness of fried food beautifully.

Interestingly, the timing of adding the basil is also exacting. Too early and the fragrance dissipates; too late and it cannot fully meld. Experienced vendors add the nine-layer basil immediately after the food comes out of the fryer, using the residual heat to activate the fragrance, then quickly toss everything together so every piece of food is coated in that distinctive aroma.

Salt-and-Pepper Fried Chicken vs. Japanese Karaage: The Divide in East Asian Fried Chicken

Both are fried chicken, yet Taiwanese salt-and-pepper fried chicken and Japanese karaage have completely different styles — a difference that reflects not just flavor but two cultures' distinct understandings of food.

Japanese karaage pursues the pure, natural flavor of the ingredient itself. Chicken is typically marinated in soy sauce, ginger, and garlic paste, then coated in a thin batter and fried. The finished product aims for a crispy exterior and tender interior, with relatively restrained seasoning that lets the chicken's savory quality come forward.

Taiwanese salt-and-pepper fried chicken represents a different philosophy entirely. It is not merely fried chicken — it is a comprehensive sensory experience. Heavy seasoning, heavy aromatics, pursuing intense sensory stimulation. The spiciness of pepper powder, the fragrance of nine-layer basil, the richness of minced garlic — flavors piled layer upon layer, forming a complex pleasure of taste.

This difference is also reflected in social function. Japanese karaage is usually part of a main meal, enjoyed quietly at a restaurant. Taiwanese salt-and-pepper fried chicken functions more like a social medium — shared with friends at night markets or roadside stalls, eating and chatting, full of human warmth.

Late-Night Culture and Urban Rhythm

The prevalence of salt-and-pepper fried chicken is closely tied to Taiwan's urban rhythm. In a society where overtime culture thrives, many people's dinner time is pushed to nine o'clock or even later. Salt-and-pepper fried chicken stalls typically stay open until deep into the night, meeting the needs of exactly these late returners.

More importantly, salt-and-pepper fried chicken represents a kind of "reward culture." After a full day of hard work, a portion of piping-hot salt-and-pepper fried chicken is a small indulgence for oneself. These fried foods may not be the healthiest, but they bring immediate satisfaction and a sense of happiness.

At night markets, salt-and-pepper fried chicken stalls are also an important window for tourists to experience Taiwanese night life. Many foreign visitors make a point of going to night markets to try this "most Taiwanese" of late-night foods. Even without a common language, through pointing and smiling, the pleasures of this food culture can still be enjoyed.

Health Consciousness and Innovation Trends

As health awareness grows, traditional salt-and-pepper fried chicken is also facing pressure to transform. Some vendors have started offering "healthy versions" of salt-and-pepper fried chicken, using air fryers to reduce oil, or increasing the proportion of vegetables.

In recent years the concept of "premium salt-and-pepper fried chicken" has emerged, using organic chicken and natural seasonings to elevate ingredient quality. These innovations, while more expensive, have attracted quality-conscious consumers.

Some creative vendors have also introduced "salt-and-pepper chicken bento boxes" and "salt-and-pepper chicken mixed noodles" and other fusion dishes, repackaging this classic snack to suit modern dining needs.

The 2025 salt-and-pepper fried chicken stall still preserves the core workflow of "Taiwan's First" in 1975: choose your ingredients from a glass display case, fast-fry at medium-high heat, finish by tossing with nine-layer basil. From pushcart stalls to franchise brands, from traditional pepper flavor to mala and creative variants, the shop form has changed, but the handful of basil still hisses in the iron wok every late night.

Further Reading

• Night Market Culture — The principal distribution arena for salt-and-pepper chicken; the core stage of Taiwan's late-night food ecosystem
• Taiwanese Breakfast Culture — From dawn to deep night, contrasting Taiwan's two crucial mealtimes
• Taiwanese Convenience Store Culture — Together with salt-and-pepper chicken stalls, convenience stores form Taiwan's 24-hour food landscape

References