Taiwan– category –
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Notes on Soy Milk Geopolitics in Taiwan
A daily drink sustained by movements of people and grain Taiwanese mornings often begin with the smell of soy milk (doujiang). A thin trace of steam sits at the rim of a paper cup, and white liquid lines up at the front of small shops. Y... -
Notes on Bao and Jiao in Taiwan
Two lineages of wheat carried across the sea Inside Taiwanese eateries, red paper menu tags hang in rows along the walls. The words repeat: shui jiao, tang bao, hu jiao bing, sheng jian bao. To Japanese eyes, they often look the same. Me... -
Notes on the Taste of Taiwan Before 1949
A record of what filled the stomach before wheat arrived When I walk through Taipei’s night markets today, I see signs for beef noodle soup, xiaolongbao, and dumplings. Steam rises. Noodles are lifted from boiling water. Bamboo lids open... -
Notes on the Divide of Sweet and Salty Across Taiwan
A pattern of sugar in the south and salt in the north, traced through everyday meals Braised pork rice (lu rou fan) often appears when sitting down in a Taipei diner. A few days later, a similar-looking bowl appears in Tainan under a dif... -
Notes on the Five Bowls of Braised Pork Rice in Sanchong
A working district across Taipei Bridge where migration settled into everyday meals New Taipei City, Sanchong District.Only a single crossing of the Tamsui River separates it from Taipei City. Yet this area, though not a tourist destinat... -
Notes on Braised Pork Rice as the Base of a Taiwanese Meal
How a Bowl Becomes Complete Only When Surrounded When Japanese visitors come to Taiwan for the first time, many repeat the same pattern. They enter a small eatery, order only braised pork rice (lu rou fan), finish in five minutes, and le... -
Notes on the Side Dishes at Formosa Chang
A Meal That Assembles Itself On a Taipei street corner, a yellow sign stands out.Behind the glass, metal pots. Even lighting.The storefront of Formosa Chang sits on the extension of street stalls, yet feels orderly. The most visible numb... -
Notes on the Zhuoshui River as a Culinary Boundary
A Border of Taste Not Shown on Maps Braised pork rice (lu rou fan) often serves as a quiet reference point when eating across Taiwan, and its shifts become easiest to notice when crossing the island’s central divide. In the middle of Tai... -
Notes on Formosa Chang as the Singular King of Lu Rou Fan
A Solitary King Selling at Twice the Price Eating this dish in Taiwan is not an event. Morning, noon, or night, it appears somewhere in the city. The price is usually around thirty NT dollars.Street stalls and small eateries sit at rough... -
Notes on Lu Rou Fan, Rou Zao Fan, and Kong Rou Fan
Why the Characters Cannot Be Trusted When entering a Taiwanese eatery, three similar sets of characters sometimes appear side by side. Lu rou fan, rou zao fan, and kong rou fan. They all look like bowls of rice topped with pork.Guidebook...
