[Politics] Taiwan-Palau Culinary Diplomacy: Hsiao Bi-khim and Whipps Jr. Praise 'One-Day Presidential Taro Chef'
bellala 央廣10h ago
Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim shared a video on social media on the 21st of culinary expert Soac visiting Palau. Soac served as the 'One-Day Presidential 'Taro' Chef,' meticulously designing creative dishes that blend Taiwanese and Palauan characteristics. Vice President Hsiao stated that Soac, with the theme 'Taro Meets Taiwan,' combined Palauan specialties with Taiwanese cuisine, allowing the world not only to see Taiwan but also to taste its most delicious and warmest characteristics.
To deepen Taiwanese people's understanding of Palau, the Palau Tourism Bureau specially invited culinary expert Soac, a recipient of Taiwan's Golden Bell Award for 'Best Variety Program Host,' to visit Palau during Vice President Hsiao's trip.
Beyond promoting Palauan tourism, Soac's trip also engaged in a wonderful 'culinary diplomacy' through his cooking and local ingredients.
In Palauan culinary culture, besides the well-known seafood dishes, 'taro' is an important element in Palauan food and culture. Soac, serving as the 'One-Day Presidential 'Taro' Chef' this time, used local Palauan taro as the core ingredient.
To find the most suitable and high-quality local ingredients, Soac specifically visited the 'Taiwan Technical Mission Farm in Palau' to gain an in-depth understanding of the flavor characteristics of local crops. Soac meticulously designed 4 creative dishes blending Taiwanese and Palauan characteristics and invited Palauan President Surangel S. Whipps, Jr. and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim to taste them together.
Soac recreated the classic Taiwanese dish 'Yu Guo Qiao' using fragrant local Palauan taro, bringing an authentic Taiwanese home-style dish to Palau. He added crispy Palauan taro to Taiwanese-style meat soup made with chicken to enhance texture, paired with cilantro-flavored Doritos, showcasing the soul and playfulness of Taiwanese cuisine. He flipped the concept of Taiwan's classic night market snack 'Oyster Omelet,' using fresh salmon paired with the indispensable soul sauce, 'Hai Shan Sauce.' Additionally, he used Palauan taro to make chewy Taiwanese taro balls, infused with tropical coconut milk, and paired them with pineapple and traditional Taiwanese grass jelly.
President Whipps and Vice President Hsiao were full of praise for these creative dishes, with the dessert 'Taro Balls with Coconut Milk, Honeyed Pineapple, and Grass Jelly' receiving rave reviews. President Whipps highly praised the dessert's deliciousness, even humorously remarking, 'The hotel should adopt Soac's recipes.'
President Whipps also pointed out that the pronunciation of 'Soac' in Palauan means 'like.'
Vice President Hsiao was surprised by Soac's creativity in perfectly integrating Palauan ingredients with Taiwanese flavors. She stated that such cuisine successfully created deliciousness that both Palauans and Taiwanese could enjoy, adding, 'This recipe should stay in Palau.'
To introduce the most authentic 'Taiwanese flavor' to President Whipps, Soac specially prepared a 'Cilantro Gift Package' on-site to present to President Whipps and Vice President Hsiao. Cilantro, as one of the souls of Taiwanese cuisine, not only added fun and conversation to the event but also brought them closer. (Editor: Liu Hsiang-hua)
Source Link: https://www.rti.org.tw/news?uid=3&pid=215821
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