Importance of Food in Taiwan If you are a big eater, Taiwan is the place to live. No where else in the world is food so highly appreciated and thought about. Instead of saying, "Hello" in Taiwan, they say, "Have you eaten?" (Chr bau le meiyou?) To some extent, food is like a belonging to the Taiwanese. The Taiwanese will get everything they can out of every ounce of food they have. At a young age, Taiwanese youth are taught never to leave any food in their bowls; this shows respect for the farmers and parents. The Taiwanese also care about the way the food is presented- all Taiwanese food, expensive or not, is highly decorated. The chefs who make these dishes take pride in the appearance of their food.

Meal Settings Dating back to the beginning of the Taiwanese culture, food has been an everyday necessity. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all taken seriously and are rarely skipped. In every meal they have a little bit of every food group, therefore making their diet balanced with the right proteins. For all of the meals, soup, rice, meat, and vegetables are usually served. There are two utensils used when eating: chopsticks and a soup spoon. Everyone at the table has an individual bowl and they serve themselves from a large bowl in the middle of the table. When eating, they take small servings and hold their bowl near their mouth. Any bones or seeds are put on a separate plate or the table, but never left in the bowl with the food.

Fruits     Taiwan produces a great variety of fruits because of its warm, moist climate. Two of the most common fruits that are produced and exported are lychee and longon. Both are fruits enclosed within thin shells, which break and peel easily with a gentle squeeze. Lychee is very sweet and juicy, while longan is a much drier fruit tasting much like honey. Another famous and favorite fruit is lien-oo. This fruit, hardly ever traveling out of Taiwan, is very juicy and crunchy, with a sweet and tart taste. The lien-oo can be eaten just like an apple.

Lychee  Longan

Vegetables     Taiwanese vegetables are able to be grown off of the island, and can sometimes be found in Asian markets in the United States. The ay-ah-tsai  looks and tastes like romaine lettuce. However, it is only eaten cooked. Yam leaves, another common vegetable, are much like spinach, although milder and more slippery. The uses of these fruits and vegetables are innumerable, although eating them just plain is a frequent method of consumption.

Unique Dishes     Unique Taiwanese dishes include the famous oyster pancake called the o-ah jien, containing scrambled eggs, a leafy Asian vegetable called bok choy, and oysters. This concoction is mixed into a slightly translucent paste. Topped with a sweet or spicy sauce before serving, this is one of the favorites among the Taiwanese people. Another common dish is the o-ah mi-sua, made of noodles and pork intestines. This is cooked and then served in a light, clear broth. Boxed rice cake, possibly the most famous of them all, is made of rice, pork, dried shrimp, and mushrooms, which is first cooked with garlic and soy sauce. The mixture is poured into cylindrical boxes, which are actually pieces of bamboo, and then steamed. This dish is then served in a sauce like that of the o-ah jien.

Meals     A typical Taiwanese breakfast consists of yo-tiow, fried dough, with soy bean milk, served hot or cold. Sandwiches and breads are commonly eaten for breakfast. Dinner is often eaten in a restaurant, where the Taiwanese can take advantage of the wide selection. American fast food restaurants are also found in Taiwan, however with an added menu of typical Taiwanese food. A McDonald's, for example, also serves rice bowls topped with stir fry vegetables and meat. Pizza is often served without the tomato sauce. 7-11's can be found throughout Taiwan, also carrying a variety of milk teas, teas, and fruit flavored drinks. They also tend to carry tea flavored eggs and steamed pork buns. This menu might seem odd to Americans, but to the Taiwanese, it is typical fast food cuisine.

Tea     Tea plays great role in Taiwan’s society. When the Chinese first came to Taiwan, the warm and moist climate was perfect for growing tea bushes. Later in the 17th century, a Dutch colonizer brought home with him tea from Taiwan. From then on, Taiwan has been famous for their unique teas. Many types of tea can be found in the numerous tea houses in Taiwan. In the daytime, tea house are given the name "old man teahouse." This is because only old men drink tea in the middle of the day. However, at night, these tea houses are crawling with teenagers and adults. It is vital that the tea is hot when served. Some of the most common teas include oolong tea, black tea, green tea, or the new favorite, bubble tea. Before bubble tea, teas did not have any sugar in them. However, bubble tea introduced the presence of fruits, milk, and even ice cream into the concoction.

Farming and Fishing     Taiwan is currently trying to convince more citizens to become farmers and fishermen. However, they only earn $96 per month or less. Rice harvesting and aquaculture are the main means of mass production. Aquaculture has been growing; in 2000, the total aquaculture production was 256, 399 tons, 19% of Taiwan's total seafood production. Taiwan is able to care for a wide variety of fish because of its tropical, subtropical, and temperate climate options. Taiwan also enjoys eel, because in 2000 there were 30,500 metric tons of eel produced.

Eating Norms     There are a few eating norms that one would need to know in order to eat politely. The way the Taiwanese eat is quite different that the way Americans eat. Reaching across the table to grab something is considered acceptable, because the act of eating is found to be more important. The bowl of food in the middle of the table should be empty after dinner is over. If the large bowl still has food in it and someone's bowl is empty, it is considered impolite. After one has eaten a meal, using a tooth pick is common, as long as the free hand is covering the mouth. Even when in a hurry, it is considered rude to eat while walking.         These unique customs of the Taiwanese people are what make it a unique and diverse country. From dogs to eel, the Taiwanese have a great variety of deliciously prepared meals. Perhaps it ispossible to love food more than France and Italy!

Clothing Intro  Taiwan is an incredibly fashionable country. They have incredible systems in which their intricate and unique outfits are assembled. They wear different clothing for different occasions, much like Americans. The deeply cultural clothes that they wear is the difference between their outfits and ours.

Clothing Expenses In 1995, the per capita expense on clothing was $251.26. Within the past decade, the Taiwanese have been paying more and more attention to modernizing their clothing. Fashion designers in Taiwan are trying to combine western style clothing with traditional Chinese symbols of luck and good fortune. Some of the new designs include guardian deities, phoenixes, dragons, clouds, lightning, the eight trigrams, and masks of Chinese opera characters. The use of these symbols helps to give the clothing a striking and dramatic look.

Traditional Dress Typical Taiwanese dress, which is worn during important ceremonies, is very symbolic and elegant.  All types of traditional clothing are wide cut, with voluminous sleeves and many straight lines. Their traditional dress is often tied at the waist with a sash.  The designs are often dressed up with embroidered edging, colorful fabrics, and emphasis on the shoulders.  The decorated bands, appliquéd borders, and varied embroidered designs have come to be one of the unique features of the Chinese and Taiwanese dress. The three main types of traditional clothing are the pien-fu, the ch'ang-p'ao, or long robe, and the shen-i.        The pien-fu is an ancient ceremonial costume. It consists of two pieces- a tunic like top that extends to the knee, and a skirt which is ankle length. There is also a very unique piece, called the pen, which is a cylindrical ceremonial cap worn with the pien-fu. The ch'ang-p'ao has only one piece which extends from the shoulder to the heels. It can be worn by both men and women. The most commonly worn of all three traditional outfits is the shen-i, which is commonly worn by government and school officials. The shen-i is a  combination of both the ch'ang-p'ao and the pien-fu. It consists of two sections, a tunic and a skirt, much like the pien-fu. Also, like the pien-fu, the shen-i has large cuts and deep folds. 'Shen-i' actually means 'deep clothing.' It resembles the ch'ang-p'ao because the two sections are sewn  together.         Lighter colors are frequently worn in homes. Much like the American culture, certain colors are worn more frequently in certain seasons. The Taiwanese wear green in the spring, red in the summer, white in the autumn, and black in the winter. Taiwanese youth like to wear western style clothing, with touches of great Taiwanese culture.

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