What is Taiwanese Cuisine?

Based on the cuisine of Taiwanese indigenous peoples and over hundred years of historical development, Taiwanese cuisine influenced by Hakka, Waishengren and Japanese cuisine, finally take the Hoklo people's cuisine as its major form.

The beginning of the Taiwanese cuisine was the aborigines cuisine on the island, which existed in the ancient times without written records. From the Ming dynasty in 16th century, a large number of immigrants from the southern provinces of China especially Hoklo people brought the rich Chinese cuisine culture to Taiwan. At the same time, Hakka people from Fujian developed a different cuisine culture from Hoklo people as well. Because of the influence of Chinese immigration, Taiwanese cuisine often leads to it being classified as 'Southern Chinese cuisine'. Due to the period of Japanese rule, Taiwanese cuisine also had a strong influence from Japanese Washoku and Yōshoku. After WWII, as a result of the Kuomintang retreat to the island which brought along many Chinese cuisines outside the province of Fujian or Southeast China. After that, the dishes from whole mainland China especially Guangdong, Chaoshan, Shanghai, Sichuan and Beijing could be easily found in Taiwan.

According to the Taiwanese chef, Fu Pei-mei, like many others of her generation, argued that Taiwanese cuisine properly preserved authentic Chinese culinary traditions.

Taiwanese culinary history is murky and is intricately tied to patterns of migration and colonization. Both locally and internationally Taiwanese cuisine, particularly its history, is a politically contentious topic. Pork, seafood, chicken, rice, and soy are common ingredients.

Traditionally rice formed the basis of most Taiwanese diets. Before the Japanese colonial period most rice grown in Taiwan was long-grained Indica rice, the Japanese introduced short-grained Japonica rice which quickly changed both the farming and eating patterns of the Taiwanese. Due to this legacy Taiwanese generally prefer rice that is plump, aromatic, slightly firm, and sweet. Differences in the Taiwanese and Japanese taste in rice are driven by differences in their cuisine with Taiwan's more flavorful and aggressive cooking methods calling for highly aromatic rice while the Japanese prefer a more subtle and pure taste and smell. During the Japanese Colonial period Taiwanese cuisine was divided with high-end restaurants, known as wine houses, serving Chinese influenced cuisine such as Peking duck, shark fin with bird's nest soup and braised turtle to the colonial elite while those without wealth or connections primarily ate rice, porridge, pickled vegetables, and sweet potato leaves. Cooking oil was considered a luxury and was only used for special occasions.

Taiwan's cuisine has also been influenced by its geographic location. Living on a crowded island, the Taiwanese had to look aside from the farmlands for sources of protein. As a result, seafood figures prominently in their cuisine. This seafood encompasses many different things, from large fish such as tuna and grouper, to sardines and even smaller fish such as anchovies. Crustaceans, squid and cuttlefish are also eaten. Milkfish is the most popular fish in Taiwanese cuisine, it is valued for its versatility as well as its tender meat and economical price.

Beef is less common than other proteins, and some Taiwanese (particularly the elderly generation) still refrain from eating it. A traditional reluctance towards slaughtering precious cattle needed for agriculture, and an emotional attachment and feeling of gratitude and thanks to the animals traditionally used for very hard labor. However, due to influences from the influx of mainland Chinese in the 1900s, the Taiwanese version of beef noodle soup is now one of the most popular dishes in Taiwan. American food aid in the decades following WWII which primarily consisted of wheat, beef, and spam like processed meats forever changed the Taiwanese diet with wheat based noodles, breads, and dumplings taking a more central role in the cuisine. Rice consumption in Taiwan reached a height of 80-90 kilograms per person per year in the 1960s and 1970s before falling as consumers shifted consumption to wheat based foods. However the Taiwanese still consume a large quantity of rice, particularly brown rice and exotic varieties like black, purple, and red rice. Recently rice consumption in Taiwan has enjoyed a renaissance with both growers and consumers devoting the level of care and attention to the rice that is given to high value crops like tea.

Because of the island's sub-tropical location, Taiwan has an abundant supply of various fruit, such as papayas, starfruit, melons, and citrus fruit. A wide variety of tropical fruits, imported and native, are also enjoyed in Taiwan. Other agricultural products in general are rice, corn, tea, pork, poultry, beef, fish and other fruits and vegetables. Fresh ingredients in Taiwan are readily available from markets.

In many of their dishes, the Taiwanese have shown their creativity in their selection of spices.

Taiwanese cuisine relies on an abundant array of seasonings for flavor: soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, fermented black beans, pickled radish, pickled mustard greens, peanuts, chili peppers, cilantro (sometimes called Chinese parsley), and a local variety of basil (九層塔; káu-chàn-tha̍h; 'nine-story pagoda').

Taiwanese black vinegar has more in common with worcestershire sauce than other black vinegars and is considered an outlier among black vinegars. Its base is sticky rice which is then aged with other ingredients in clay pots. It is used as a condiment and seasoning. Kong Yen is the largest producer of Taiwanese black vinegar. According to Bon Appetit compared to Chinese black vinegars it is "simpler, fruitier, and cleaner."

An important part of Taiwanese cuisine are xiaochi (小吃), substantial snacks along the lines of Spanish tapas or Levantine meze.

The Taiwanese xiaochi has gained much reputation internationally. Many travelers go to Taiwan just for xiǎochī. The most common place to enjoy xiǎochī in Taiwan is in a night market. Each night market also has its own famous xiǎochī.

Moreover, the Taiwanese xiǎochī has been improving to a higher level. Nowadays, Taiwanese xiǎochī not only served in night markets but some luxury and high-end restaurants. These restaurants use higher quality ingredients and creative presentations, reinventing dishes whilst keeping the robust flavors. The prices usually jump by twice the price or even higher in the restaurants. The Taiwanese government supports the Taiwanese xiǎochī and has held national xiǎochī events in Taiwan regularly.

Modern Taiwanese cuisine is influenced by Taiwan's freedom and openness which enables chefs to innovate and experiment.

Roadside banquet chefs are ubiquitous in Taiwan, these small (often single person) catering firms provide on-location cooking for wedding banquets and other celebrations often held on the roadside. During the COVID-19 pandemic these chefs saw a significant downturn in business due to the lack of people hosting large traditional functions, especially those around the Lunar New Year.