Last month, Taipei Artist Village (TAV) hosted a taco festival and the lines were so long that people were even groveling for the vegan tacos. One can only imagine how the turn out will be at the Latin American Food and Music Festival scheduled, to take place at TAV on Sunday. There will not only be tacos, but also Cuban-style roast pig, Brazilian barbeques, Chilean pastries and rum from Panama and Martinique — lots of it — on the menu as well.
Monica Sanchez, project manager of the Foundation of Latino Residents in Taiwan, the organization spearheading the event, says the idea of this year’s festival — much like the Latin Market they organized last summer — is to introduce the food that Latinos eat at home.
“This festival tries to honor and respect our mothers, grandmothers and anyone who kindly and gently taught us how to cook,” Sanchez tells the Taipei Times.
Photo courtesy of Feria Kao
Also in the lineup is a selection of Mayan dishes prepared by a Guatemalan member of the organization. According to Sanchez, these delicacies predate the colonial era.
“My biggest concern when people take their first bite is that they taste the tradition,” says Sanchez.
Most of the dishes that will be served on Sunday will be artisanal, meaning no harmful ingredients or pre-cooked food. There will also be cooking workshops led by Sanchez and two other chefs where the focus will be on how to prepare simple, healthy Latin American meals.
Photo courtesy of the Foundation of Latino Residents in Taiwan
There will be a dance room opened from 2:30pm to 5pm where people can learn the steps of the bachata, a style of dance born in the Dominican Republic that Sanchez describes as being “delightful and sexy.”
Two styles of traditional dances will be introduced this year, the jarabe tapatio or the Mexican hat dance, as well as the Colombian cumbia.
In addition, there will be karaoke, so feel free to croon to Enrique Iglesias or Carlos Santana all you want, while activities for children include face painting and pinata.
“Anybody can dance, sing their favorite songs and feel the true Latino warmth,” Sanchez says.
As to why there seems to be so many Latin American restaurants popping up in Taipei recently (a lot of these eateries such as Samba Pizza and Stupid Reed will have stalls on Sunday), Sanchez thinks it may have to do with Taiwanese expats who were based in Latin America returning to Taiwan and opening restaurants.
“The security and economic stability in Taiwan are added value,” says Sanchez.
Moreover, there has been more demand for this type of food due to the increased presence of Latin Americans, especially students, living in Taiwan.
“It is just a matter of [time before] you’ll find yourself emerged in a mini Latino world in Taipei,” Sanchez adds.
Admission to the festival is NT$100 and will go to the Foundation of Latino Residents in Taiwan.
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