by Stella Tai
Taiwanese cuisine is a mixture of exotic food as Taiwan has been ruled by different governments throughout its history. Early influences came from European countries, the Dutch, Spanish, and Portuguese, followed by the Japanese and Chinese regime.
Is Taiwanese and Chinese food alike?
It is true that Taiwanese food shares some similarities with Chinese food, but the former has developed its own unique style since the Republic of China retreated to Taiwan amidst the civil war.
One of Taiwan’s most signature dishes, beef noodles, is the best example of their differences. After Kuomintang veterans from Sichuan province were forced to evacuate from mainland China to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, they combined local cuisine with their home-style food to relieve homesickness.
Besides the common beef stewing and broth simmering, what makes Taiwanese beef noodles truly shine is the use of “broad bean chili sauce.” It gives beef noodles a special spicy taste, different from the ones in China. Although it was a local custom for most Taiwanese in early agricultural society to not eat beef as cattle were considered valuable working animals, the dish still gained immense popularity due to its strong flavor.
Nowadays, there are many varieties in beef noodles such as red-braised, clear-broth stewed, or tomato. Furthermore, cold side dishes are regarded as a necessary complement to beef noodles for most Taiwanese as they help counter the spiciness. Beef noodles are also a good choice for late-night supper seekers because nowadays a lot of stores sell beef noodles 24/7. What’s better than sipping a bowl of hot spicy beef soup in the middle of the night?
Food Culture
Barely anyone comes all the way to Taiwan without wanting to witness the night market culture themselves. The food stalls gathered in night markets sell convenient, fast, cheap and diverse kinds of food such as stinky tofu, oyster pancake and braised pork rice. Normally, night markets are located near transportation hubs, temples or fairs, which were developed early and feature the biggest crowds. These establishments have passed the test of time and have been able to expand sustainably and extensively. Some of the most famous night markets in Taiwan are Shilin Night Market, Raohe Street Night Market and Ningxia Night Market.
But night markets aren’t just all about food. Having fun and going retail shopping has become a norm. There are many clothing stores, as well as fun activities such as balloon shooting, goldfish scooping or ring toss. Night markets are not only the best place to spend the whole night with your family and friends, but also a perfect site for foreigners to learn about Taiwanese culture.
Taiwan Classic Cuisine
Xiao Long Bao
How famous and influential exactly is Xiao Long Bao? When the movie star Tom Cruise came to Taiwan to promote his movie “Oblivion” in 2013, he was invited to make and cook Xiao Long Bao on his own. In fact, savoring Xiao Long Bao has become an enticing proposition for any celebrity who visits Taiwan.
Unlike Japanese dumplings or Chinese jiaozi, Xiao Long Bao is crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and stuffed with fillings. Its wrap is extremely thin so your mouth could be full of juice even if you just have a small bite. Rather than being delivered on plates, usually six to ten buns are served hot on a bed of dried leaves or paper mat in bamboo baskets where they are steamed.
Xiao Long Bao can be found at either a plain breakfast shop on the street or at a fancy restaurant in a shopping mall. The most well-known restaurant featuring Xiao Long Bao in Taiwan is Din Tai Fung. Starting with selling oil in his early career, Yang Bing-Yi, the founder of Din Tai Fung, opened the restaurant with his wife in Taipei in 1972. Even though it was just a small stall at first, his business developed fast because the Xiao Long Bao he produced was a big hit. Today, this brand has grown into a chain restaurant of more than 170 locations around the world, including 14 in the United States.
Boba Tea
It is no exaggeration to consider boba tea, known as bubble tea, one of the best cultural representations of Taiwan considering how prevalent it has become. This beverage originated in Taiwan in the early 1980s, but there were two theories in regards to who first created it.
Some believe the Chun Shui Tang Tea Room in Taichung is the pioneer of boba tea. In 1985, Han-Chieh Liu, who was just a clerk working for Chun Shui Tang, one day tried adding powdered rice balls to milk tea and shared the drink with some regulars. It went viral quickly and was officially sold in the store in 1987.
Others argue that it should be the Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan who invented bubble tea. In 1986, the tea house owner Tsong-He Tu noticed the white tapioca balls sold at the local market. He did a little experiment, pouring them into milk tea and found out the taste was good. Bubble tea broke into the market afterwards and was widely acclaimed right away.
Now most boba shops offer a wide range of flavors with fruit, milk, and specialty teas. The variety allows people to find what suits their personal preferences and moods. Boba drinks are highly customized too. Customers can choose sweetness level, ice level, and toppings. They are free to create a personalized beverage that caters to their taste.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Taiwan sells approximately 1.02 billion cups of boba tea every year, and some Taiwanese brands even have oversea branches such as CoCo Fresh Tea, Gong Cha and Tiger Sugar to further the reach of the drink.
Taiwan Dishes in the United States
Taiwanese food has successfully spread to the United States over the past several decades. However, the taste has slightly changed to cater to the eating preferences of local people. Take bubble tea for example, its sweetness level is significantly higher than the one in Taiwan as nowadays most people in Taiwan are quite repulsed by beverages containing too much sugar.
Furthermore, the tapioca pearls sold in the United States typically lack the fragrance and chewy texture compared to the ones in Taiwan. This has a lot to do with the high competitiveness of Taiwan’s bubble tea stores. It is estimated that there are roughly 30,000 boba tea stores in Taiwan, so cooking tapioca balls of the highest quality to attract consumers must be the top priority for most owners.
To make tapioca pearls as authentic as possible, most American companies will either join a franchise run under an existing Taiwanese brand or look for Taiwanese businesspeople to research and create the recipe.
In fact, bubble tea has been Americanized to a large extent. On one hand, it is visually appealing. The vibrant colors make for excellent social media posts. On the other hand, unlike Taiwan, most bubble tea stores in the United States have a large space where friends and family can gather. The relaxed ambiance and the act of sipping on a refreshing beverage while chatting make boba outings a social experience.
Another huge difference between local Taiwanese food and Americanized versions is the selection of vegetables in most dishes. No matter whether it’s in Taiwan or in the United States, fried rice or Chow Mein have been everyone’s favorites. But usually it is cabbages, green beans, and garlic that are stirred with the staple food and meat in Taiwanese dishes, while Americans like to add broccoli, carrots and onions to their main courses.
Although the overall taste of food is quite similar, obviously the selection of side dishes can give diners an idea of the distinction in growing vegetables in each country.
Taiwanese festivals and their food
Just like every country, people in Taiwan celebrate festivals in a grand way with unique food involved. For example, every household will make sticky rice balls by hand in celebration of the Lantern Festival as its round shape resembles the lanterns. People also eat mooncakes on Mid-Autumn Festival because their Mandarin name symbolizes family reunion
Add comment
Comments