The Food of Taiwan: Recipes from the Beautiful Island

by Cathy Erway

Overview

The acclaimed food writer offers an insider's look at Taiwanese cooking from home-style dishes to authentic street food in “this appetizing collection” (Publisher Weekly, starred review).
 
While certain dishes from Taiwan are immensely popular, like steamed buns and bubble tea, much of the cuisine still remains relatively unknown in America. In The Food of Taiwan, Taiwanese-American Cathy Erway, the acclaimed blogger and author of The Art of Eating In, explores the rich culture, history, and culinary traditions of Taiwan—including nearly 100 recipes.
 
Recipes range from familiar dishes, such as Pork Belly Buns, Three Cup Chicken, and Beef Noodle Soup, to more uncommon fare, like the Stuffed Bitter Melon, Oyster Noodle Soup, and Dried Radish Omelet. Tantalizing food photographs intersperse with beautiful shots of Taiwan’s coasts, mountains, and farms as well as images of bustling city scenes, making this book just as enticing to flip through as it is to cook from.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544303300
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	06/11/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	533,039
File size:	58 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

CATHY ERWAY is the author of The Art of Eating In and has written for publications such as Saveur, PAPER magazine, and Serious Eats. She is the host of Heritage Radio Network’s "Eat Your Words" and co-founded the supper club The Hapa Kitchen.

Editorial Reviews

★ 02/02/2015
In this appetizing collection, Erway (The Art of Eating In), an acclaimed blogger at Not Eating Out in NY, takes readers on a cultural and culinary tour of Taiwan that will engage armchair travelers and foodies alike. American born and half Taiwanese, Erway details the rich and diverse history of the country and explores the social and recreational habits of modern-day Taiwan. From pantry staples such as chili bean sauce, ginger, and rice wine to the vibrant night markets that take over entire streets, she offers an insider’s perspective of the Taiwanese lifestyle and reveals what makes a dish distinctly Taiwanese. In addition to chapters on appetizers, vegetables, meat, and seafood, she explores the lasting culinary influences of military villages, train bento boxes, and Taiwanese tea. Recipes for fried pork chop noodle soup, shredded chicken over rice, and Hakka-style sweet green tea convey cultural insight as well as instruction. But Erway does not shortchange on the recipe front. Taiwanese pork belly buns, steamed eggplant with garlic and chilies, and pan-fried whole fish with garlic, ginger, and scallions are just a few tempting examples from a multitude of appealing offerings from an island nearly obsessed with food. Photos of everyday people, the diverse landscape, and alluring dishes complete this engaging and delightful collection. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"In this appetizing collection, Erway (The Art of Eating In), an acclaimed blogger at Not Eating Out in NY, takes readers on a cultural and culinary tour of Taiwan that will engage armchair travelers and foodies alike… From pantry staples such as chili bean sauce, ginger, and rice wine to the vibrant night markets that take over entire streets, she offers an insider’s perspective of the Taiwanese lifestyle and reveals what makes a dish distinctly Taiwanese. In addition to chapters on appetizers, vegetables, meat, and seafood, she explores the lasting culinary influences of military villages, train bento boxes, and Taiwanese tea. Recipes for fried pork chop noodle soup, shredded chicken over rice, and Hakka-style sweet green tea convey cultural insight as well as instruction… Photos of everyday people, the diverse landscape, and alluring dishes complete this engaging and delightful collection."
—Publisher's Weekly, starred review

“Erway’s cookbook is among the very first to celebrate Taiwanese food and culture in English. It is written with deep affection, and the photographs capture the beauty of Taiwan and its tantalizing cooking. Erway’s charming stories make this book as much a travelogue as an enticing introduction to this little-known cuisine.”
—Grace Young, author of Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge
 
“A fresh voice, a fascinating new culture (at least for most of us), and bulletproof recipes. Cathy Erway writes as well as she cooks, which is great.”
—Peter Kaminsky, author of Culinary Intelligence
 
“Taiwanese is one of the great neglected regional cuisines of China. Why? Because Taiwanese restaurateurs are more likely to open Cantonese, Shanghai, or Sichuan restaurants, and keep their own excellent dishes—like stinky tofu, oyster omelets, beef noodle soup, and meatball mochi—to themselves. In Cathy Erway’s new cookbook The Food of Taiwan, she explicates all these recipes and more, filling a great gap in our knowledge of Chinese cooking, inviting you to mount your own dinner party.”
—Robert Sietsema, Eater NY

From the Publisher

05/01/2015
Erway (The Art of Eating In) introduces readers to the culture, history, and tastes of Taiwan, a small island off the eastern coast of China. The lush natural landscapes of Taiwan are well suited for agricultural crops such as sugarcane and rice, and its seashores bring in an abundance of seafood. The excellent introduction to the country's background will help readers understand ingredient choices and flavors from a cultural point of view. The book includes an abundance of pork and seafood recipes such as red braised pork belly and oysters with black bean sauce that are complimented with recipes for a variety of lighter dishes (sauteed water spinach with fermented tofu, king oyster mushrooms sauteed with ginger), condiments (pickled mustard greens relish), and sauces (tomato-based sweet and sour sauce). The sizable dessert section highlights the tropical fruit flavors native to the island. VERDICT A fabulous addition to any collection.—Claire A. Moitra, Rhode Island Sch. of Design, Providence

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