National Taiwan Normal University professor Chen Yu-chen (陳玉箴) yesterday unveiled her research on the history of Taiwanese cuisine, which showed that cultural and sociopolitical factors have had a profound influence on the evolution of national dishes.
Categorizing Taiwanese dishes according to three historical periods: the colonial era (1895 to 1945), the post-World War II era (1945 to the 1980s) and the 1990s until present day, Chen said that Taiwanese cuisine during the Japanese colonial era was introduced from China and was usually served at wine houses — high-end restaurants — to members of high society, such as Japanese officials.
According to the research, typical dishes at the time included Peking duck, shark fin with bird’s nest soup and braised turtle.
In contrast, civilians under Japanese colonial rule ate mainly rice, porridge, pickled vegetables and sweet potato leaves, she said.
This lack of diversity could probably be linked to the inaccessibility of cooking oils, which were considered a luxury at the time and were only used for special occasions, for example at banquets, she said.
With millions of settlers moving from China to Taiwan after World War II, the second period saw more Chinese dishes — originating from China’s Sichuan, Zherjiang and Hunan provinces — mixed with dishes that existed before Taiwan was annexed to Japan, which were predominantly introduced by trail blazers from Fujian Province in China.
Geographic location also influenced the introduction and development of various cuisines in certain areas, the research showed.
Citing Yilan County as an example, Chen said the area is known for idiosyncratic cuisines such as gaojha (糕渣) — ground shrimp, chicken and beef that are stewed to a pulp with broth and then fried — and “bu meat” (卜肉), fried pork fillet strips served with pepper or sesame.
With the help of advancements in culinary skills, and national banquets being held at public-sector restaurants since the early 1990s, the third phase saw the improvement of existing dishes, such as sauted sweet potato leaves, rice puddings and fried egg with preserved turnip, the flavors of which changed drastically over time, Chen said.
It was also around this time that the term “Taiwanese cuisine” (台式料理) gradually became prevalent and local restaurants with signs reading “Taiwanese cuisine” began to emerge, she said.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
Taiwan and its Pacific ally Tuvalu on Tuesday signed two accords aimed at facilitating bilateral cooperation on labor affairs, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The governments inked two agreements in Taipei, witnessed by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and visiting Deputy Tuvaluan Prime Minister Panapasi Nelesone, MOFA said in a news release. According to MOFA, the agreements will facilitate cooperation on labor issues and allow the two sides to mutually recognize seafarers’ certificates and related training. Taiwan would also continue to collaborate with Tuvalu across various fields to promote economic prosperity as well as the well-being of their
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
NEW WORLD: Taiwan is pursuing innovative approaches to international relations through economics, trade and values-based diplomacy, the foreign minister said Taiwan would implement a “three-chain strategy” that promotes democratic values in response to US tariffs, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said. Taiwan would aim to create a “global democratic value chain,” seek to capitalize on its position within the first island chain and promote a “non-red supply chain,” Lin was quoted as saying in the ministry’s written report to the Legislative Yuan submitted ahead of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee meeting slated for today. The Ministry would also uphold a spirit of mutual beneficial collaboration, maintaining close communication and consultations with Washington to show that Taiwan-US cooperation