Taiwan Culinary Exhibition Returns

The annual Taiwan Culinary Exhibition returns to Taipei August 17 to 20 featuring the food and recipes of Tainan, Lugang, and Wanhua. For 22 years, the Taiwan Culinary Exhibition has introduced Taiwanese cuisine to the world.

This year's Taiwan Culinary Exhibition includes exhibits of iconic dishes from Tainan in southern Taiwan, Lugang in central Taiwan, and Wanhua, a district in the capital in northern Taiwan. Tainan's danzi mian, a noodle dish named for the basket and pole contraption used by a fisherman to sell the simple dish, Lugang's glutinous rice phoenix eye cake, and Wanhua's exotic snake dishes served at Snake Alley Night Market will all be featured at this year's festival.

"Taiwan is a hidden gem of amazing culinary experience for our international travelers," said Trust Lin, director of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau in Los Angeles. "Our island has a wide variety of food art and unique culinary history that comes with over three centuries of fascinating legendary tales and stories."

In addition to the recipes exhibition, other Taiwan Culinary Exhibition events include a kitchen showoff featuring cooking demonstrations by chefs from mainland China, the Domestic Culinary Competition which will crown Taiwan's top chef, and cooking classes with celebrity chefs.

In addition to promoting the trio of treats from Tainan, Lugang, and Wanhua, the best dishes from Taiwan's top hotels and restaurants will be showcased, and tastings of fruit from Taichung in central Taiwan and edible paper made of bamboo shoots and Lugu tea from Nantou in central Taiwan are part of the four-day event. A presentation on vegan cuisine and Taiwan's vegetarian culinary tradition and a food court full of Taiwanese treats round out the offerings.