By Steven Crook and Katy Hui-wen Hung Families across Taiwan continue to engage in an ancient tradition of offering up ritual feasts to their ancestors. One clan has been performing these rites in the northern city of Taoyuan for over two centuries. Ancestor worship is an ancient and persistent custom among Han Chinese. Traditionally, deceased…
Cage-free eggs at supermarkets and vegan fare at restaurants are just some of the changes taking place as part of a movement spearheaded by local animal rights groups and conscientious businesses. The sound of clucking chickens isn’t something usually associated with shopping in a supermarket. But roll your shopping cart past the egg section in a…
The scenic eastern county offers a wide variety of Hakka, Hoklo, and indigenous foods. By Steven Crook & Katy Hui-wen Hung Like other tourists, foodies often begin and end their visits to Taiwan in Taipei. Some go as far south as Tainan to try that city’s “little eats” (小吃, xiaochi). If they do head over…
What does it mean for a food to be described as “Q” and what is the derivation? A decade or so ago, the restaurant reviews by local writers in the Taiwan newspaper where I was features editor often dwelt at great length on the chewy nature of certain dishes. To vary the wording, the reviewers…
After living in Taiwan for two decades, regular Wine & Dine contributor Mark Caltonhill returned to his native UK at the end of 2013. Now he’s back and looking at what has changed on the food scene. Returning to Taiwan after a five-year absence, my initial reaction was that prices seemed a lot higher. Currency…
Mandarin Oriental General Manager Karan Berry’s 23-year-long career in hospitality has taken him from India to Indonesia, and now to Taiwan. To successfully run a luxury hotel, he says, you need to understand and respect not only the most visible parts of the operation, but also all of the various back-end roles – what he…
Warning: Do not serve alcohol to minors. When you drink, don’t drive. A guide to some of the city’s busiest, best, and most unusual taprooms. Taiwan’s ubiquitous convenience stores are consumers’ go-to places for snacks, cold and hot drinks, cigarettes, and even microwaved meals. But recently, they’ve expanded their inventory with a new item. Since…
A handful of Taipei eateries look to preserve the culture, atmosphere, and – most importantly – the flavors of Taiwan’s once-ubiquitous veterans’ villages. Taiwan’s juan cun (眷村) – or military dependents’ villages as the Chinese term is usually rendered in English – are one of the more notable features of Taiwan’s urban and rural landscape….
Specialist farmers in Taiwan are concentrating on such niche areas as snails, deer antlers, and “red quinoa.” Text and photos by Steven Crook & Katy Hui-wen Hung The 11 metric tons of meat that Akwey Chen dispatched to his customers in 2018 is just one-tenth the volume produced by the average pig farm in Taiwan…
As the Ko Hospitality Group opens it first U.S. restaurant, CEO Stan Ko talks about the family business and why he’s fiercely dedicated to the dining experience. Ignoring the “Opening Soon” sign on the door of Ramen Nagi restaurant in Palo Alto, California, two curious pedestrians try the handle. The door opens, but not far….
