Chinese cuisine has conquered the world, and the victuals of Taiwan area luxuriant outgrowth of Chinese cooking. And the development of dishes expresses something of the growth experience in Taiwan over the past thirty years.
Because China is so vast, the climate, products, and tastes of each area are different, and many unique cooking methods have taken shape. According to the categorization of gourmet T'ang Lu-sun, in the earliest period it was "sweet in the south, salty in the north, spicy in the east, and sour in the west." With the passage of time, several major strains have developed. For example, there is northern cooking which primarily consists of Shantung and secondarily of Hunan cuisine, with the best-known dishes being delicately flavored, cooked in oil but not greasy. For North Yangtse style (that is, those areas on the north bank of the Yangtse River), food is thoroughly rich and sumptuous, whereas South Yangtse cooking shows more attention to detail and precision. South China cuisine from the coast has long been influenced by trade and exchange, and has drawn in curry powder, tomato sauce, and other foreign flavorings, resulting in a singular taste. Cantonese cooking is also known as the "Chinese cuisine that was Westernized earliest."
When the government moved to Taiwan, with people from the various provinces following close behind, the multifarious flavors of north and south China hit the ground running in Taiwan. Add to this the local native style, and you could say that this is the most fortuitous event in the history of Chinese food since somebody figured out how to make fire from rubbing sticks together in ancient times.
For the past forty years, the trends in eating have gone through many changes, and each time the change produces its own "socio-linguistics."
In the 1960's, when per capita GNP was only US$200-300, there weren't much more by way of Chinese restaurants than some Peking and Chekiang eateries transplanted directly from the mainland. As for Western style menus, steak houses reigned--a trend produced by the US military stationed in Taiwan.
At the beginning of the 1970's, as Taiwan's balance of trade shifted from a secular deficit to a surplus, and per capita income more than doubled every five years, restaurants specializing in the elegant appeared, including French restaurants and seafood palaces; while high-class Chinese restaurants, where the emphasis was on conspicuous consumption and ambience, rose one after the other.
Having had just a bit too much of fish and meat, places offering delicate, light rice congees and side dishes entered the fray. Tired of the urban scene, country chicken restaurants situated in the suburbs and boasting a down-home decor spread north from Taichung. In 1973, beer houses displaying the rough-and-ready look popped up in Tienmu and scattered throughout Taipei, and quickly proved contagious to all parts of Taiwan. The following year, there was a milestone in economic liberalization as Western fast food establishments were permitted to come to the island; Mc Donald's led the assault, creating a popular whirlwind of Western fast food.
The "in things to eat" in recent years have more than ever testified to the pulse of development. In 1988, when the stock market soared crazily, the passion for beer houses waned. "When consumers have full purses, they want an even higher level of enjoyment," says Yi Hui catering group deputy manager Ho Tsung sheng. Luxurious (and expensive) restaurants enjoyed a two-year boom, right up until last year when the stock market collapsed, only to be replaced by lower budget fare of charcoal grills, goat's meat stew, duck in ginger, and so on.
This issue's cover story, "Eating Out in Taiwan--Variations on a Popular Theme," takes a look at changes in Taiwan through trends in eating, and describes changing eating pattern in detail from the point of view of overall developments. That the ups and downs of the restaurant industry so closely follow economic conditions, besides the impact of vicissitudes of business-sponsored sales banquets, is determined by whether or not the wallet of the average guy is full. And as to why "eating" plays such a central role as a leisure activity for the broad public, that is, I'm afraid, a whole other issue deserving of attention.
Taking Chinese cuisine abroad has become literally a way of life for Chinese. This issue's special feature, "Yokahama's Chinatown," was written by a Sinorama staff writer who visited the site in person. It tells in detail how this place was able to recover and thrive despite passing through the great Kanto earthquake, the allied bombings of Yokahama, and the historical contention between China and Japan. It tells how in recent years this area has been able to rely on a craze for Chinese food to "fry" up into the heavens.
A world which gets "cooked up" through the vegetable knife, hot pot, and ladle may be one which is "made the old-fashioned way, bit by bit," but it's a lot more reliable than "cooking up" land prices or stocks!
[Picture Caption]
Sinorama staff writer Ventine Tsai talks with Mao Tao-teh, the owner of the last old-style Chinese barbershop remaining in Yo kohama's Chinatown. (photo by Huang Lili)