<p>A cloud escapes into the air as 80-year-old Taiwanese street food vendor Wu Huang-yi lifts the lid on a giant steaming basket to unveil a piping-hot batch of two dozen buns.</p>.<p>It is lunchtime at Taipei's Huaxi Night Market -- the capital's oldest -- and a queue has already formed at Wu's stall, with diners eager to taste the pork belly whose aroma wafts from a steel pot bubbling in the cramped kitchen.</p>.<p>Self-taught chef Wu perfected his meat marinade more than 20 years ago, and he still goes to the market at 5:00 am every day to handpick the pork belly, which he stews for hours in his special blend of ingredients.</p>.<p>"My buns are different from others, it's all handmade. It's tasty because it's so soft and yet chewy," Wu says.</p>.<p>"Everything is done according to tradition, and that's the reason why it tastes good."</p>.<p>Also known in Taiwanese as ho-ga-ti (tiger bites pig), the gua-bao is a circular flat steamed bun, which is folded in half and stuffed with braised meat, salted vegetables, coriander and ground peanuts.</p>.<p>Its shape resembles the ancient Chinese boat-shaped ingot, so gua-bao signifies prosperity and is often served at wedding banquets and corporate functions.</p>.<p>But Wu sells his for less than $2 each at his stall, where his whole family, including his wife, three adult children and a grandson help out.</p>.<p>And his hard work and dedication have finally paid off -- this month he was recognised by Michelin and awarded a place on the food guide's Bib Gourmand list, which is given to eateries that serve a top-class three-course meal for less than $34.</p>.<p>Taiwan -- which has a rich local culinary tradition as well a huge array of cuisines brought to the island by mainland Chinese immigrant communities -- now has well over 200 entries on Michelin's list.</p>
<p>A cloud escapes into the air as 80-year-old Taiwanese street food vendor Wu Huang-yi lifts the lid on a giant steaming basket to unveil a piping-hot batch of two dozen buns.</p>.<p>It is lunchtime at Taipei's Huaxi Night Market -- the capital's oldest -- and a queue has already formed at Wu's stall, with diners eager to taste the pork belly whose aroma wafts from a steel pot bubbling in the cramped kitchen.</p>.<p>Self-taught chef Wu perfected his meat marinade more than 20 years ago, and he still goes to the market at 5:00 am every day to handpick the pork belly, which he stews for hours in his special blend of ingredients.</p>.<p>"My buns are different from others, it's all handmade. It's tasty because it's so soft and yet chewy," Wu says.</p>.<p>"Everything is done according to tradition, and that's the reason why it tastes good."</p>.<p>Also known in Taiwanese as ho-ga-ti (tiger bites pig), the gua-bao is a circular flat steamed bun, which is folded in half and stuffed with braised meat, salted vegetables, coriander and ground peanuts.</p>.<p>Its shape resembles the ancient Chinese boat-shaped ingot, so gua-bao signifies prosperity and is often served at wedding banquets and corporate functions.</p>.<p>But Wu sells his for less than $2 each at his stall, where his whole family, including his wife, three adult children and a grandson help out.</p>.<p>And his hard work and dedication have finally paid off -- this month he was recognised by Michelin and awarded a place on the food guide's Bib Gourmand list, which is given to eateries that serve a top-class three-course meal for less than $34.</p>.<p>Taiwan -- which has a rich local culinary tradition as well a huge array of cuisines brought to the island by mainland Chinese immigrant communities -- now has well over 200 entries on Michelin's list.</p>