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Each xiaolongbao dumpling has exactly 18 folds, a symbol of Din Tai Fung's dedication to craftsmanship and quality. (photo by Chuang Kung-ju)
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There is a Chinese poem about a fabulously beautiful girl kept hidden away in the family manor. If only she could be dressed up a bit and get herself a good matchmaker, she would become renowned far and wide. Fine food from Taiwan, though certainly worthy of the highest accolades, is in a similar situation.
To change this, in late November of 2011 the Government Information Office will launch a website called Food Culture in Taiwan. In a multilingual format (Chinese, English, Japanese, French, and Spanish) it will introduce and promote local culinary cultures. In addition, the Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Economic Affairs is working on a unified list of English translations for Chinese dishes, giving visitors a handy and universal guide for ordering in any restaurant. Taiwan cuisine is taking its first steps toward internationalization.
The "Li Yun" chapter of The Book of Rites, in a paragraph commenting on the most important of human motivations, says something to the effect that what men take the most delight in-ranking right up there with sexual pleasure-is good food and drink. And the Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw declared: "There is no love sincerer than the love of food."
Gourmandise knows no boundaries. Indeed, in recent years cooking styles have become a central element in the export of culture and the creation of a higher international profile.
Learning from the example of countries like Thailand, Korea, Japan, and Malaysia, which have all formed agencies to promote their national cooking styles, food products, and restaurants, in 2010 the ROC Executive Yuan approved a special "action plan" to internationalize Taiwan cuisine. The plan comes with a four-year budget of NT$1.1 billion, and aims to put Taiwan on the international culinary map.
The Department of Commerce of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) has established a task force to promote the globalization of fine foods from Taiwan, adopting a two-track strategy of "local internationalization" and "international localization." And the Government Information Office, working with New York-based Burt Wolf Productions, has made a documentary on gourmet dining here.
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