[Feature] Bringing Banquet Culture to World Landmarks: The Impossible Mission of 'Feast for the World'

Taiwan's first cross-border banquet reality show, "Feast for the World," traveled from Sydney, Australia, to Kumamoto, Japan, and New York, USA, bringing Taiwanese banquet culture to the world and allowing more people to experience Taiwanese flavors. In fact, behind this "gastronomic diplomacy" costing over NT$100 million, the production team faced regulatory restrictions, food safety challenges, and resource pressures, even bursting into tears after the successful first stop in Sydney. They spoke about the hardships of this journey in an exclusive interview with Radio Taiwan International, calling it the most worthwhile adventure. Dreams Start at World Landmarks, But Reality Teaches a Lesson First "Feast for the World" is Taiwan's first cross-border banquet reality show. Led by master chefs, it features celebrities Sonia Sui, Blue Lan, Hao Tzu, Chen Sui-yi, and food YouTuber Chien-chien as the "Banquet Taiwan Team," engaging in real-life procurement, preparation, tent setup, and hosting. The decision to showcase Taiwanese culture through "banquets" stems from the production team's concern about the gradual decline of this tradition. Director Hsu Chih-cheng explains that banquets were once a shared life memory for Taiwanese people. However, with the rise of wedding banquet halls in recent years, coupled with the impact of the pandemic, many master chefs have retired, and younger generations have fewer opportunities to participate firsthand. The team initially intended to find 13 master chefs but discovered that many had already retired, making them realize that banquet culture is more fragile than imagined. Therefore, the team hopes to bring banquets to world landmarks, transforming the familiar round tables of Taiwanese people into a window for the world to understand Taiwan. Executive Producer Lin Ju-yao reveals that the team researched many locations beforehand, including the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, Spain, and Italy. However, they quickly found that many European landmarks are ancient sites where open flames and water use are restricted, conflicting with the core spirit of banquets. This led them to gradually narrow down the options. Director Hsu Chih-cheng jokes that since the show is called "Feast for the World," it couldn't be confined to Asia. Thus, locations were chosen in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, along with Asia, to truly feel like a global endeavor. The final selections were Sydney, Kumamoto, and New York – three cities, three banquets, and three formidable challenges. Sydney's First Battle: Tears of Joy After Success Sydney was the first stop, and everything was a first, providing the team with a shocking education. Producer Tsui Chang-hua states that the biggest challenge of banquets has never been just cooking, but transplanting the entire banquet culture to a foreign land. Strict regulations apply to preventing oil spills on grass and managing waste and sewage. There are clear limitations on tent materials, toilet locations, wooden board installations, and even food serving times. After the banquet, when the garbage truck collected the food waste, it leaked oil. All staff immediately rushed to contain it, with some using rags, others containers, and some even diving into the trash to find the leak bag, fearing even a drop of oil on the grass. Tsui Chang-hua laughs, recalling it now as a behind-the-scenes moment, but admits they were terrified at the time. Furthermore, the summer heat in Australia took a toll on the team. With a perceived temperature nearing 40 degrees Celsius, food could not be left outdoors for more than two hours. Chefs needed licenses, tents had to be transparent, and even the flight of birds had to be considered. Tsui Chang-hua recounts that after the first banquet in Sydney was successfully held, everyone on set cried, with the director weeping profusely. The louder the crying, the greater the pressure. She admits to being easily moved to tears, but what truly choked her up was when a staff member asked her: "Do you regret doing this show?" Tsui Chang-hua: "(Original sound) I don't regret doing this show, but I regret putting our employees and partners through such immense pressure, making them endure this situation to make this program. I deeply regret it; I was choked up then." Kumamoto Also Faced Numerous Difficulties, New York Was the True Final Boss After the baptism in Sydney, the team initially thought the second stop in Kumamoto would be easier, but that was far from the case. Tsui Chang-hua explains that while the team used a restaurant for preparation, residents worried about crowds and noise. The hosts went into the mountains to harvest bamboo shoots, only to find three small ones after a day's hard work. Even on the eve of the banquet, the procured ingredients suddenly encountered issues, forcing the master chef to go out in the middle of the night to re-purchase everything – difficulties abounded. The real test came in the third stop, New York. Executive Producer Lin Ju-yao says that when the team proposed holding a banquet in Times Square, not only did local Taiwanese businesspeople consider it impossible, but even diplomatic units deemed it an insurmountable task. Lin Ju-yao explains that the team eventually found a way: applying to film a reality show, rather than for an event, opened a path forward. Even so, the New York City government, police, and Times Square management progressively tightened the conditions. Open flames, initially approved, were suddenly canceled two weeks prior. The day before, the team was required to promise not to gather crowds. The next morning, they were informed that music and sound systems could not be used. The site could only use five large batteries simultaneously to power the kitchen, microphones, and front-stage equipment. Director Hsu Chih-cheng jokes that the power personnel were so stressed they kept scratching their heads, and he could only console them, "Don't worry. This is a reality show." With significant assistance from local production companies and Taiwanese people in New York, the team managed to overcome the difficulties. When the banquet scene truly appeared in New York's Times Square, many people took photos and posted them online, with some even believing it was AI-generated. For the team, at that moment, all their efforts were worthwhile. Tsui Chang-hua: "(Original sound) The scene of being able to hold a banquet in Times Square, personally, I think it's fantastic. To achieve this, everyone's efforts were truly not in vain." No Acting Required: Truly Becoming the "Banquet Taiwan Team" For Director Hsu Chih-cheng, the greatest pressure wasn't the venue or equipment, but how to make the hosts genuinely become the "Banquet Taiwan Team." He admits that if it were just about arranging segments, filming a few clips, and editing them, the hosts or the audience would feel like they were "acting." Therefore, from the very beginning of the show, he insisted that the five hosts learn from scratch, accompanying the master chefs in procurement, preparation, chopping, and cooking, fully experiencing every aspect of a banquet. As a result, the hosts filmed for over 14 hours daily, with the camera crew following closely, sometimes too exhausted to speak. Hsu Chih-cheng once considered calling it quits, but the hosts couldn't stop; no one was willing to give up. Hsu Chih-cheng: "(Original sound) They felt they represented Taiwan, and now they had to represent Taiwan to treat foreigners, so they felt the pressure of not being able to fail." Hsu Chih-cheng believes that reality shows are different from regular variety shows. Beyond entertainment, finding meaning is more important. Hsu Chih-cheng: "(Original sound) I think reality shows need meaning. They need to resonate with the audience to be called reality shows. Whether the audience feels the hosts are genuinely preparing the banquet, or if they can understand from the hosts or the program's planning that we want to convey banquet culture to the world. If we achieve this, then we can say we have truly completed a reality show." After This Battle, All Three Found Their Answers Before "Feast for the World" aired, the team's biggest worry was whether the audience would accept such a costly and arduous program. However, after filming, the three core members agreed that this world banquet had become an irreplaceable chapter in their careers. Producer Tsui Chang-hua admits that after decades in television, this might be the "ceiling" of her career. Tsui Chang-hua: "(Original sound) After so many years in television, this is my highest milestone. This time, it's my personal ceiling – the most expensive, the most difficult, so for me, I think it's great, and I have no regrets." Executive Producer Lin Ju-yao states that banquets have never been just about eating. Taiwanese people's lives, from birth to death, weddings, and celebrations, are all connected to banquets. It represents human touch and the Taiwanese national character. Lin Ju-yao: "(Original sound) Why do we feel banquets strongly represent Taiwan? Because there is culture within them, Taiwanese culture. Our lives, from birth to death, weddings, and celebrations – all Taiwanese culture can be linked to banquets. Secondly, the Taiwanese national character can be linked. It's interesting that in banquets, there's a Taiwanese sense of camaraderie, where everyone likes to help. Secondly, the national character – facing any situation, there are solutions, adaptability, and flexibility. I think this (banquet) thing achieves all of that at once." She also mentions that popular programs on international platforms, while seemingly entertaining on the surface, are often supported by sociology, psychology, or cultural research. Therefore, "Feast for the World" involved scholars researching Taiwanese food culture from the initial stages of preparation, aiming to make banquets more than just cooking – a complete cultural narrative. This successful experience has given her more confidence in future production directions, confirming that good programs require not only creativity but also the translation of research, culture, and entertainment into content that resonates with the audience. For the youngest, Hsu Chih-cheng, this was like "fighting a boss above his level," also making him realize that reality shows are not just entertainment but about finding resonance and meaning for the audience. Do It Even at a Loss, Because Taiwanese Programs Need Dreamers Tsui Chang-hua admits that cross-border reality shows are extremely costly, with a vast disparity between Taiwanese production budgets and international platforms. However, one must still dare to dream. Tsui Chang-hua: "(Original sound) This time, everyone truly gave their all, carrying the mindset of losing money... That's the reality. We'd rather lose money to make it happen; it's a mission. I believe that if we are to make reality shows in the future, they will only get bigger, never smaller." She says that audience feedback is the best medicine. If resonance is achieved, even if money is lost, all the hardships will gradually be healed. Hsu Chih-cheng also believes that as reality shows in various countries become larger in scale, Taiwan cannot rely solely on individual production companies or TV stations to compete internationally. Media policy support is crucial, allowing production units space for trial and error and resources to dare to dream. From the tears in Sydney, the setbacks in Kumamoto, to the impossible mission in New York's Times Square, "Feast for the World" filmed not just a table of dishes, but a group of people striving to showcase Taiwan's most down-to-earth, human-touch culture. This is perhaps the most precious Taiwanese flavor that "Feast for the World" wishes to serve to the world.