Eat More, Eat Better: Exhibition of Archives on the Dietary Culture of Taiwan

發布日期：110.11.16

Eat More, Eat Better: Exhibition of Archives on the Dietary Culture of Taiwan
Taiwan used to be a food production zone with self-sufficiency and even, exporting overseas. However, due to the deprivations after WWII, food shortage occurred in post-war Taiwan. Apart from enhancing agricultural and fishery production, the government acquired food and inhibited conspicuous food consumption through its policies. From the rise of “public canteen” in the post-war period to the “five-dish and one-soup set” movement in the 1980s, all these movement indicated government’s policy toward a thrifty and simple life.
From the 1960s to the 1980s, the dietary habits in Taiwan were further broadened. As TV stations started broadcasting, the TV cooking show “Fu Pei-Mei Time” which lasted for 40 years brought far-reaching influence to the dietary habits of Taiwanese families. Enjoying gourmet food in the dining car on a train was also a sweet memory of many people. The state banquet menu symbolizing the country’s dietary treatise also faithfully presents the political thoughts in different eras. Local specialty street food, local ingredients, and state banquets held in the rural areas have been the political or dietary styles in Taiwan over the last two decades.

Stomach-Filling Era
Government encouraged full-fledged production and ran national production boost competitions to resolve the food shortage problem. Besides, government also imposes the feast tax and transforming restaurants into public canteens. The former Premier Ching-Kuo Chiang announced the 10 reforms to request government employees to decline social gatherings. However, the ban was unstoppable for the general public. In the 1980s, therefore, the “five-dish and one-soup set,” aka the “plum blossom meal” emerged as a synonym for frugal meals.

US Aid: A Change in Dietary Habits
USA-led international aid: the provision of various necessities not only resolved the food shortage in post-war Taiwan but also changed the people’s dietary habits. The government also introduced the “flour for rice” policy which impacted the dietary habits of having rice as everyday meals. Through the funding of the Sino-American Joint Commission on Rural Reconstruction (JCRR), new animal and plant species were introduced to enrich the dietary spectrum. Milk that was only affordable by the upper class also became popular to the ordinary people.

From Bento to State Banquet
TV cooking shows, the home economics classes in schools and the women’s home economics class at the farmers’ association were all channels for learning cooking. Through TV broadcast, Pei-Mei Fu became a well-known cooking master across Taiwan. The Taiwan Railway (TR) Bento is not only one of the representative dishes of common people but also a sweet memory of a rail trip. The state banquet is by far the most iconic feast of Taiwan’s dietary treatise, and its menu shows the gradual integration of Taiwan’s local specialty dishes and Taiwanese street food.

Soft Drinks, Market and Diet Internationalization
The soft drink was introduced to Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period and was a symbol of cold drinks. Market areas transferred from the stalls along the street in traditional markets to the booths in public, yet, night markets become the dinning and shopping area for people. When international fast food chains were introduced to Taiwan during the 1980s, we also exported local delicacies to the global catering market. Since the 1990s, the refinement of Hakka cuisine and indigenous cuisine and the Southeast Asian cuisine brought by new residents have expanded the spectrum of Taiwanese gourmet food one after another.

Xinzhuang Exhibition
2021/11/24 - 2022/05/31
09:00-17:00（closed on holidays）
Exhibition Hall, National Archives Administration, National Development Council

Miaoli Exhibition
2022/07/15 - 2022/11/14
09:00-17:00（closed on Tuesday）
5th Exhibition Hall, Taiwan Hakka Museum

Nantou Exhibition
2023/02/18 - 2023/11/30
09:00-17:00（closed on holidays and Monday）
Taiwan Provincial Administration Information Hall
1st special exhibition room

In addition to hosting the abovementioned exhibitions, NAA also established an online exhibition system.