Why read A Culinary History of Taipei?

Book cover of A Culinary History of Taipei: Beyond Pork and Ponlai

Book description

There is a compelling story behind Taiwan's recent emergence as a food destination of international significance. A Culinary History of Taipei is the first comprehensive English-language examination of what Taiwan's people eat and why they eat those foods, as well as the role and perception of particular foods.

Distinctive culinary…

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Why read it?

1 author picked A Culinary History of Taipei as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

John Grant Ross

Author

Despite the title, this is a history of the food of Taiwan, not just Taipei. The “ponlai” in the subtitle refers to a strain of rice developed in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period, stickier and quicker maturing than the indica rice cultivated previously; and this specificity gives a good indication of the admirable depth the book goes into. There’s great breadth too, the authors covering almost everything you might be curious about, whether aboriginal crops or traditional banquet culture, religious food offerings, food folklore and prohibitions, the evolution of basic ingredients, and the origin stories of iconic dishes.

From John's list on The best books on Taiwan’s history.