The Sustainable Chefs Reviving Historic Taiwanese Foods Ep5
Handmade banquet dishes were once extremely common and popular in Taiwan, but they are fading away in the modern era, replaced by faster, cheaper options. See how Taiwan meticulously revives these cultural staples by learning from retired master chefs. Taiwan’s Academia Sinica has recovered historic 100-year-old menus from what were once some of the country’s most vibrant banquet halls. These grand restaurants once served Taiwanese handmade dishes (手路菜). But as Taiwan’s economy grew, many of these classic dishes were forgotten and abandoned in favor of more profitable options. With the help of academic researchers and an aging master chef, Mountain and Sea House Restaurant’s executive chef Tsai Jui-lang is bridging the gap between Taiwan’s gastronomic past and present. On his journey to recreate Penglai Pavilion’s classic Minnan-style roast chicken, chef Tsai discovers that recreating lost cuisines is more difficult than he thought. Master chef Huang Te-hsing is meticulous, even in his old age, recalling every detail of the dishes and the reasons behind their ingredients. As industries in Taiwan have evolved with time, high-priced, pasture-raised chickens are the best choice available today for recreating this classic dish. Climate change is a major factor influencing the availability of ingredients in Taiwan. Chef Tsai’s grandfather, a fisherman by trade, notes that while he once caught more fish in a day than his boat could carry, the situation in Taiwan’s oceans is completely different now. The same rings true on land, where some farmers face the risk of low crop yields and desertification due to changing soil composition after years of using chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Chef Thomas Chien is doing his part to reverse this trend by supporting small farmers who use sustainable, organic farming practices. Taking inspiration from French chef Alain Passard, Chien’s restaurant has designed an entirely vegetarian menu for Earth Day that highlights the vibrant flavors of fresh local produce. Chien’s dishes use ingredients that are readily available to all Taiwanese, serving as an example that vegetarian food is not only delicious but also accessible. Through their efforts, these chefs hope to breathe new life into Taiwanese cuisine and agriculture, creating a brighter future for this land and the people who live on it.
