Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, is an island country in the South China Sea. It is an archipelago surrounded by water, the Philippine Sea on the east, the South China Sea on the west, the East China Sea on the North and the Luzon Strait on the south. The archipelago is composed of Taiwan Island and much smaller islands such as Penghu Islands, Orchid Island, Green Island and Hsiao Liuchiu.
Taiwan today is an important trading and manufacturing hub. Due to its international connections, cuisines all over the world are found in the islands. However, due to geographical proximity and history, influences from Southern China and Japan are very evident in everyday Taiwanese recipes.
People from Taiwan and Southern China share a very similar cultural heritage, speak the same Hokien dialect and enjoy almost the same culinary recipes. Similar to Southern China, Taiwanese recipes derive their flavor from dried seafood, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, preserved vegetables and certain herbs such as cilantro and shallots. These ingredients are representative of the abundant resources from the surrounding seas and a vibrant agricultural sector.
Pork, chicken, rice, various seafood and soy are important proteins in many Taiwanese recipes. Beef is utilized to a certain extent but is not as popular due to older generations shunning it for religious reasons. The eating of beef in Buddhism is shunned as it is considered a sacred animal. The importance of agriculture in Taiwanese lives also value the hard work that cattle contribute to farm life.
It is rather ironic that one of the prominent Taiwanese recipes is one that of Beef Noodle Soup. There is a cult following of this dish and it is often featured in television shows and cooking contests. This dish is probably an offshoot of Japanese influence. Taiwan was under Japanese rule between 1895 and 1945. Even after ceding control of Taiwan, Japanese culture continues to play an important role in Taiwanese life due to the onslaught of Japanese enterprises and industries. Japanese culture continues to pervade modern Taiwan culture with many Japanese words for mother and father are embedded in Taiwanese language.
Buddhism is widely practiced in Taiwan. Due to its teachings, there is a large vegetarian community in Taiwan which shuns the killing and eating of animals including fish and seafood. As a result, the vegetarian variation for a lot of Taiwanese recipes is always available. A separate banquet selection for vegetarians is even provided for special occasions such as birthdays and weddings.
Another distinctive feature of Taiwanese cuisine is the presence of "Xiao Chi" literally meaning little snacks in Chinese. There is an extensive night market culture on the island of Taiwan. When night falls, small and big sections of streets in various towns turn into night markets selling all kinds of merchandise and snacks. These xiao chi are on the same line as Spanish tapas and Levantine meze but a lot more substantial. These snacks can range from the simple such as steamed buns and noodle soups to the unusual such as smelly tofu and oyster cakes.
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