Current Issue

Savoring the Flavors of Taiwan

• Byline:KELLY HER
• Publication Date:04/01/2011

The Taipei City Government holds a beef noodle soup festival annually. (Photo by Central News Agency)

Taiwanese cuisine is a top draw for international visitors and is positioned to expand overseas.

Thirty-seven-year-old James Parng has lived in the vicinity of the Shida Night Market in Taipei City since he was a child. He visits the night market regularly to enjoy the various types of food on offer. Still, his favorite is beef noodle soup. “During my school days, whenever I felt tired or low, I would treat myself to a big bowl of beef noodle soup, a luxury for me at the time,” he recalls. “The tender, tasty beef stewed in its broth of barbecue sauce, tomato and scallions made my day! I think that’s a pleasant memory shared by many Taiwanese.” Today, Parng is the secretary-general of the Taipei Beef Noodle Exchange Development Association, an organization that is dedicated to the promotion of the local beef noodle industry.

Indeed, beef noodle soup represents one of Taiwan’s gourmet foods and epitomizes how a common dish has been transformed from the stuff of night markets and street stands to the fare of upscale restaurants. To achieve this, many vendors of the once-humble meal turned their attention to the quality of their offerings, such as by reducing the amount of seasonings, sugar, oil and salt in the dish, along with placing greater emphases on the dining environment, service and sanitation.

In fact, many local dishes have found their way to the tables of prestigious hotels throughout Taiwan. Favorites include rice with braised pork, oyster omelets, stinky tofu, steamed or fried dumplings, dan zi noodles, Taiwanese meatballs, milkfish congee, oyster vermicelli, rice pudding and spring rolls. The Grand Hotel in Taipei, for example, often includes these local specialties on its menus to give the hotel’s international guests a taste of authentic Taiwanese cuisine.

Centuries of Chinese immigration, as well as Japanese colonial rule (1895–1945) have left Taiwan with a rich cultural diversity, which is conspicuous in the island’s wide variety of foods. Due to the presence of the Japanese, for example, raw or steam-sauteed food can be found throughout the island. Nevertheless, the origin of a distinctive local cuisine is often credited to the large influx of immigrants from mainland China around 1949.

Many believe that the origin of niu rou mian, or beef noodle soup, in Taiwan can be traced to a residential military community in Gangshan District, Kaohsiung City, in the south some 60 years ago. The mainland Chinese troops that came to Taiwan with the Kuomintang government back in 1949 longed for the dishes of their old hometowns, prompting the newcomers to recreate the classic beef noodle soup. Now, as the noodle dish has spread throughout Taiwan, numerous local versions have been developed.

Din Tai Fung offers captivating Shanghai-style cuisine including its signature dish, steamed dumplings. (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)

In the same manner, Chinese provincial cuisines from Fujian, Shanghai, Sichuan, Hunan, Guangdong and Shandong, for example, came to dominate the domestic dining scene, enjoying popularity until the aging chefs gradually passed away, along with their older-generation customers, who also hailed from the mainland.

Shih Chien-fa, chairman of the Taipei-based Chinese Gourmet Association and a chef with 30-odd years of experience, says Taiwanese cuisine basically fuses the dishes that originated in the mainland’s eight major regions with Japanese cooking. These days, however, as more Taiwanese travel or study overseas, they often bring back culinary techniques and seasonings from around the world, thus expanding the range of available dishes even further, as well as contributing to fusion cuisines here.

Taipei’s Yungkang community, for instance, features restaurants serving Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, French, German, Italian and Spanish cuisine by Taiwanese and foreign chefs, along with dozens of offerings in the way of drinks and snacks.

Of the many dishes that originated in mainland China, most have been modified and become more delicate in Taiwan, Shih says. “Chinese dishes are quite heavy from the complex sauces and cooking procedures, so compared with them Taiwanese food emphasizes a fresh, natural and lighter flavor. That’s particularly true in our preparation of seafood, together with simple and quick cooking methods,” Shih says. “Taiwan also has high quality ingredients supplied by its farming and fishing industries, and its geographical advantage as an island nation always ensures a varied ocean catch. All this adds to the tastiness and distinctive flavors of Taiwanese dishes.”

Free-Range Flavor

In Taiwan, the free-range chickens raised by the Hakka communities in Hsinchu County in the north, the fresh clams cultivated by the Li Chuan Fishery in Hualien County in the east, ducks raised in Yilan County in the northeast, as well as the ocean sunfish (Mola mola) caught in Hualien and bluefin tuna caught off Pingtung County, southern Taiwan have all enabled Taiwanese chefs to create savory and unique dishes, Shih adds.

The 116-year-old restaurant Du Hsiao Yueh maintains its traditional layout with the chef preparing the meal in an open kitchen. (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)

“The original taste of fresh ingredients is what gives Taiwanese food its true flavor. Also, most Taiwanese dishes are prepared by steaming, blanching or stewing in order to preserve their flavors,” Shih says. “That and exchanges with other cultures, along with cultivating skilled, creative chefs, mean that Taiwan is developing a culinary culture that is gaining wider recognition.”

One signature dish that Taiwanese certainly have made their own is the beef noodle soup touted by James Parng. Currently, Taipei alone has about 3,000 eateries serving beef noodle soup. Different variations include roasted, steamed or braised beef; thick, thin, flat or round noodles; and clear or brown broth. Most offerings also come with a variety of spices or Chinese medicinal herbs. And while beef noodle soup usually sells for between NT$100 (US$3) and NT$200 (US$6) a bowl, more “sophisticated” versions have been launched with significantly higher price tags.

Since opening its doors in 1990 in downtown Taipei, the Beef Bowl Restaurant, for example, has introduced two noodle dishes that cost NT$3,000 (US$100) and NT$10,000 (US$333) apiece, as well as “average” fare in the range of NT$300–$600 (US$10–$20). Restaurateur Wang Cong-yuan has spent 15 years extensively researching which cuts and which countries’ beef make the best soup, as well as the ideal cooking methods to bring out the best aroma and texture of a bowl of beef noodle soup.

Wang uses beef from Australia, New Zealand and the United States, and cuts the meat to deliver a perfect balance of meat and tendons in each piece. Different cuts of beef—shank, tenderloin and rib—are cooked separately for varying amounts of time. The final soup is usually simmered for up to one week in order to achieve a rich, concentrated broth.

“The beef noodle soup prepared by Wang touches my heart not only because of its delicious flavor, but also Wang’s attention to detail—from the selection of every piece of meat to the complicated processes of cooking the meat and broth,” says Taiwanese-American pop star Wang Lee-hom. “That’s why I always come to Wang’s restaurant, sometimes straight from the airport with my luggage, when I return to Taiwan.”

Vendors prepare food at a typical night market (Photo by Chang Su-ching)

While 80 percent of the restaurant’s customers are international visitors, Wang Cong-yuan’s local clientele often includes celebrities like Wang Lee-hom, as well as business magnates. It is these VIP clients who propel the restaurateur to keep on perfecting the art of making beef noodle soup. “I don’t really set a price on my dishes. When I develop a new version, I ask my celebrity customers to taste it and they can pay whatever price they deem it to be worth. That was the case for the dishes later priced at NT$3,000 and $10,000,” Wang Cong-yuan says. “I like to challenge myself constantly and see the highest value I can create for my offerings.”

Meanwhile, in 2005 the Taipei City Government held its first Taipei International New Row Mian Festival to promote the local favorite to visitors. Becoming an annual event since then, the three-day festival gives members of the public the chance to sample beef noodle soup prepared by many restaurants and eateries. It reaches its climax with a live cooking contest among local chefs, who compete to be recognized as the cook of the best beef noodle soup in town.

“Thanks to the Taipei City Government’s promotion, beef noodle soup has become Taipei’s signature food and a good means of city marketing,” James Parng says. “International tourists used to know only about the steamed dumplings offered by Din Tai Fung in Taipei. But an increasing number of them have gotten to know and appreciate Taiwan’s many other delicious dishes, including beef noodle soup.”

The dan zi noodles served at Du Hsiao Yueh restaurant are another example of a Chinese regional dish that took root in Taiwan, where it has been refined to become a local speciality. Headquartered in Tainan, southern Taiwan, the restaurant has four branches, including three in Taipei.

Du Hsiao Yueh’s 116-year-old history can be traced back to its founder, Hung Yu-tou, who emigrated from Fujian to Tainan in 1895 and then worked as a fisherman. Typhoons frequently made deep-sea fishing difficult during summer, however, so to earn a living during the slow season, Hung drew on the skills he had learned from a chef in Fujian and started making noodles with a minced meat sauce. In fact, the name of the restaurant, Du Hsiao Yueh, means “making ends meet during the slack month.”

Chairwoman of the Taiwan Food and Beverage Art Association Hsu Mei-yun, center, and another two award-winning chefs demonstrate the art of food arrangement. (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)

The delicious treat starts with a small bundle of “oil noodles,” or noodles made with oil, which imparts a yellow hue to the pasta. The finished dish includes boiled shrimp, bean sprouts, coriander, black vinegar, garlic and a light shrimp broth, and is topped with a sauce of stewed pork mince. Hung Hsiu-hung, the fourth-generation owner of the business, says the recipe and preparation methods of dan zi noodles at his shops adhere to the century-old traditions passed down from his great-grandfather. Even the old kitchen layout has been preserved, with the chef sitting on a stool in one corner of the restaurant cooking up the meal in full view of the customers.

Despite the emphasis on tradition, however, Hung says his restaurant is always willing to adjust the flavor of its dishes on request. He has also worked diligently with his executive chief Lin Chi-fung to render a wider selection of menu items including other Tainan specialty foods like deep fried prawn rolls, roasted milkfish maw, roasted mullet roe, steamed shrimp meatballs, fried tofu and stewed pig’s knuckles and intestines.

“Apart from ensuring the quality of our food by sourcing fresh, safe ingredients from local farmers and fishermen, we’ve strived to blend our cuisine with culture and improve our dining environment and service,” Hung says. “At our restaurants, customers can learn the history and features of our dishes, as well as how to enjoy them through the informative posters on the walls. We hope to cultivate a practice of eating dan zi noodles similar to the sophistication of tea culture.”

At the same time, in addition to Chinese regional dishes, distinctive Taiwanese, Hakka and aboriginal foods have been building a larger presence. Shih attributes the booming development of the island’s food sector and consequently its gastronomic offerings to the government’s longtime support of food shows, cooking competitions and international exchange activities.

The Taiwan Culinary Exhibition, directed and sponsored by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Council of Agriculture and the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), for example, has been held annually for 20 years. The event is dedicated to promoting Taiwanese cuisine, including local specialties, through the presentation of creative dishes that use domestic farm and fishery products.

Taiwanese cuisine emphasizes fresh, natural and light flavors, and is well served by the island’s farming and fishing industries. (Photo by Huang Chung-hsin)

In addition, approximately 200 food and beverage-related associations have been established on the island, Shih says, explaining that they have contributed to the overall development of the local food sector.

The Taiwan Food and Beverage Art Association (TFBAA) is one such group, and runs training courses for chefs seeking a professional license in the industry. Hsu Mei-yun, chairwoman of the TFBAA, says the certification exam for chefs set up by the Council of Labor Affairs covers academic subjects, culinary skills, sanitation and kitchen safety regulations, and has helped improve the professional knowledge and skills of local cooks. “To pass the certification exam, one must cook according to a set of standard operating procedures. In particular, the test emphasizes sanitation, which makes up 50 percent of the test score,” she says. “As well, they need to pay attention to the aroma, color, taste, nutrition and presentation of dishes.”

Yeh Yun-lung, director-general of the Department of Commerce under the MOEA, says gourmet cuisine is taking an important place in the government’s promotion of Taiwan to international tourists. However, given the relatively small domestic and tourist markets, it is necessary for the island’s food and beverage industry to expand overseas to grow its businesses.

The MOEA has thus launched its “Gourmet Taiwan—Action Plan for the Internationalization of Taiwanese Cuisine.” The plan involves cross-ministerial collaboration and comes with a budget of NT$1.1 billion (US$36.6 million) from 2010 to 2013. Strategies include assisting restaurateurs to upgrade their operations, from cooking and food handling to service, marketing and the implementation of standard operating procedures.

The government, Yeh continues, also plans to help a number of Taiwanese food and beverage companies like Din Tai Fung, Wang Steak, Formosa Chang and the 85°C coffee shop chain to increase their presence in overseas markets and develop international brands.

Shih Chien-fa, chairman of the Taipei-based Chinese Gourmet Association, is a chef with more than 30 years of experience. (Photo Courtesy of Shih Chien-fa)

World Gourmet

In particular, Yeh says Din Tai Fung, the local restaurant that serves captivating Shanghai-style dishes, has demonstrated the ability of a homegrown brand to gain international renown through its dedication to providing high-quality food. In 1993, The New York Times named Din Tai Fung one of the top 10 restaurants in the world, while in 2010, the restaurant’s Hong Kong branch was awarded a coveted Michelin Star by the famed gourmet food guide. The dumpling house has thus far set up five outlets in Taiwan and 50 overseas including Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, mainland China and the United States.

“The most distinguishing characteristic of Taiwan’s cuisine is its diversity, which in turn is its competitive niche in its pursuit of internationalization,” Yeh says. “That combined with the creativity and skill of Taiwanese chefs and quality of local ingredients should enable Taiwanese cuisine to not only fill the stomachs, but also win the hearts of people from around the world.”

According to a 2009 survey conducted by Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau of international tourists visiting the island, of the top three reasons that motivated their visit, cuisine was second only to natural scenery and ahead of folk culture and customs. Nearly 50 percent of respondents said they were most impressed by Taiwan’s gourmet cuisine.

Hong Kong couple Alcuin Lai and Jane Parry, together with their two children, recently visited Taiwan and were “bowled over” by how friendly Taiwanese people are, as well as the delicious cuisine on offer. “Taiwanese food—it’s unique, light on oil and doesn’t have much MSG, and it looks great, too,” Lai says. “Hong Kong food is on the heavy side; Taiwanese food is lighter, simple and tasty.”

Parry says the family “ate like kings” in Taipei. “We’d find great restaurant meals that seemed to blend elements from several different Chinese regional cuisines into a unique Taiwanese style. And then there were the myriad other food choices—snacks galore from dumplings to donuts, wonderful coffee, and some of the best Japanese food outside Japan,” she says. “We also ate our way along the food stall street in Danshui [in New Taipei City]. Between the four of us, we tried so many things, but the favorites were the scallion pancakes, wild boar sausage, squid balls, hot almond milk and beef brisket noodles. No trip to Taiwan is complete without having those!”

From Chinese-style dishes and local specialties to exotic foods; from low-cost night market stalls to lavish, top-end restaurants, Taiwan is a gourmet haven where people can savor a wide range of delicious food to suit their tastes and budgets. In the process, visitors can savor an authentic taste of the island’s culture.

Write to Kelly Her at kelly@mail.gio.gov.tw