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.
EXPANSIONIST: China deploys an average of 40 to 50 warships and coast guard vessels daily in the South China Sea, despite pledges not to militarize the region, an official said China is attempting to expand its influence across the First Island Chain and increase pressure on Japan by sending coast guard vessels into waters off of Taiwan under the pretext of maritime negotiations with Japan and the Philippines, a national security official said yesterday. China’s recent actions in the waters east of Taiwan and Japan and the Philippines’ exclusive economic zones (EEZ) are attempts to establish dominance in First Island Chain waters, said the official who declined to be named, adding that this is “expansion disguised as law enforcement.” Framing China’s actions solely as a cross-strait issue is a serious misjudgment that
Through analyzing fossil evidence, a research team at National Taiwan University (NTU) discovered the largest endemic bird to have lived in Taiwan, naming it Pavo miejue, or extinct peafowl (滅絕孔雀). The Mikado pheasant, which is printed on the back of the NT$1,000 bank note, was previously believed to be the biggest endemic bird to Taiwan. The research team’s findings suggest that Pavo miejue lived during the Pleistocene epoch tens of thousands of years ago. It is the first endemic extinct bird species discovered and formally named in Taiwan. The study was coauthored by NTU Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology professor Tsai Cheng-hsiu (蔡政修),
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is to suspend its automated Skytrain service connecting Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 starting on July 1 to facilitate connection works for the upcoming Terminal 3, the airport operator said today. Passengers and staff who need to travel between the two terminals after the suspension can instead use the Taoyuan MRT or the airport's 24-hour shuttle bus service, Taoyuan International Airport Corp said. The Taoyuan MRT Airport Line directly links the two terminals, while the shuttle buses are to operate around the clock, the company added. The Skytrain provides free transportation between the airport’s two terminals for travelers and
Taiwan ranked 42nd in terms of peacefulness among 163 countries, down five places from last year, according to this year’s Global Peace Index. With an overall score of 1.751, Taiwan dropped from 37th last year, the report published by the global Institute for Economics and Peace showed. The overall score measures a country’s level of peacefulness using 23 quantitative and qualitative indicators across three domains — ongoing domestic and international conflict, societal safety and security, and militarization. While Taiwan ranked 42nd worldwide, it was listed in ninth place among the 19 Asian-Pacific countries in the report, after New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia,
RSS