Many well known Taiwanese cuisines originated from Tainan, including Guāncáibǎn (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Guacaba ) and Kēzǐjiān (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Orazen) (Oyster Omelet).
Other traditional cuisines that represent Tainan include Dànzǐmiàn (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Daami ) (Dry pork mince noodle), Zhuàngyuángāo (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Zengiangor ), Wǎnguǒ (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Uague ) (steam rice cake), Mǐgāo (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Bhigor ) (Sticky rice cake), Tǔtuōyúgēng (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Totorhigen) (Fried mackerel fish thick soup), Shīmùyúdù (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sabhahido ) (Pan-fried milk fish belly), Shànyúyìmiàn (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Senhiimi ) (Stir-fried eel noodle) and many more.
Tainan was a center for sugar production industry. As a result Tainan cuisines tend to be sweeter compared to other Taiwanese cuisines. Milk fish cuisines are very popular in Tainan where locals also call it Guóxìngyú or Koxinga’s fish. People believe the Chinese name of the fish Shīmùyú (Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sabhahi ) was given by Koxinga. The fish are bred in the farms located in the outskirt coastal areas of the city. Many Tainan restaurants and snack stands have a history that traces back to Qing Dynasty or Japanese colonial era.