Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA, 外貿協會), the organizer of the International Flat Panel Display Exposition, gave foreign visitors a taste of Taiwan by offering free food samples during the show yesterday.
“This is the first time that I saw so much attention paid to matching food and businesspeople ... I think it is a really good concept,” said Curtis Smith, a Canadian who has been living in Taiwan for 18 years.
Smith, who was invited to try Chinese fried buns (水煎包) and steamed pork dumplings (小籠包), said he preferred the fried buns because of their spicy flavor and stuffing.
PHOTO: TSENG HUI-WEN, TAIPEI TIMES
Brian Harmon, from the US, said he was surprised to see the food tasting activity at the three-day exposition which ends today at the Taipei World Trade Center.
“It kind of didn’t make sense at first, but now I think it is a good idea,” Harmon said. “Perhaps the organizer should bring the famous stalls from Shilin (士林) night market to the exposition.”
Yesterday’s tasting event was part of the Taste of Taiwan Cuisine (台灣美食月) event this month, which aims to give foreigners an opportunity not only to sample local food but also to gain a better insight into Taiwanese cuisine.
Tourism Bureau data showed that 3.71 million foreigners visited Taiwan last year, with a majority citing food as a major attraction.
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