When people learned I was from Taiwan, they sometimes assumed I spoke Taiwanese rather than Mandarin. This reaction made me think: language really is a symbol of a country. If you come from a place, there’s a quiet expectation that you speak its language. Most countries have one, sometimes two, official languages — enough to let everyone communicate.

Dutch people grow up speaking Dutch as their mother tongue. But many young people in Taiwan, including me, grow up speaking Mandarin as our first language, not Taiwanese. This wasn’t always the case. For our parents’ and grandparents’ generations, Taiwanese — or Hakka — was the natural first language, with Mandarin coming later, if at all. Languages don’t form overnight. They carry centuries of history and cultural context within them. Taigi is one such language — and Taiwan’s relationship with it is a story worth telling.

What Is Taigi?

Taigi—also known as Taiwanese or Taiwanese Hokkien—is spoken by a significant portion of Taiwan’s population, particularly those descended from Hoklo immigrants who arrived from southern Fujian, China, several centuries ago. As these immigrant communities settled and established roots in Taiwan, the language evolved alongside the island’s history and became deeply intertwined with Taiwanese identity. Taigi is primarily a spoken language, though it can be written using the romanized system Pe̍h-ōe-jī (POJ).

The History of Taigi in Taiwan

The rise and fall of Taigi mirrors the turbulent history of Taiwan itself.

Its roots go back to the 17th century, when settlers from Fujian brought their Hokkien language to the island. Over time, it absorbed local vocabulary and evolved into what we now call Taiwanese Hokkien — the dominant language of the island’s largest ethnic group nowadays.

After 1895, Taiwan came under Japanese colonial rule. The authorities promoted Japanese as the language of education and governance, gradually pushing Taigi out of public life. Yet the language survived, and in doing so, Taigi absorbed a surprising amount of Japanese vocabulary. The Taigi word for “driver,” un-tsàng, comes from the Japanese 運転手 (うんてんしゅ). The word for “apple,” lìn-gòo, echoes the Japanese りんご (ringo).

After Japan’s defeat in World War II, Taigi faced yet another wave of suppression. When the KMT government relocated to Taiwan, it imposed Mandarin as the sole official language. Taigi was banned in schools and discouraged in public, causing a sharp decline in everyday use that lasted for decades.

The tide began to turn in the 1990s. With the lifting of martial law, a cultural revival took hold. Today, Taigi is recognized as a cornerstone of Taiwanese identity, with growing movements to restore its presence in media, education, and literature.

Where Can You Learn Taigi?

There are several ways to pick up Taigi today. For those who prefer something structured, Instagram pages like Otaigi break the language down into interesting topics — a good starting point if you want to learn at your own pace. Taiwanese soap operas are another effective teacher — the dialogue is immersive, and the language flows the way it does in real life.

As for me, music was my gateway in. My family mostly spoke Mandarin, so I had few opportunities to pick up Taigi naturally. But artists like Fire EX. (滅火器) and Amazing Show (美秀集團) record entire albums in Taigi, and somewhere between the melody and the lyrics, the language started to stick.

Why Taigi Still Matters

So what does Taigi mean for Taiwan’s identity today? It is more than a language — it is a living record of where Taiwan has been: the Hoklo settlers who shaped its culture, the Japanese colonial era that left traces in everyday speech, and the decades of suppression that nearly silenced it.

For a generation growing up in Mandarin, reconnecting with Taigi is not just about learning words. It is about staying curious about where we came from — and understanding that what we speak, and how we speak it, already tells a story about who we are.

• 時間 Time： 14 June, 13:30-15:30

• 主題 Topic：文化差異下之「禮貌」與「真誠」的平衡

• 內容 Content：當臺灣的「不好意思」成為習慣後，我們是否也慢慢忽略了自己的感受？在不同文化中，「禮貌」與「真誠」之間，往往存在不同的平衡。來到荷蘭後，你是否也曾因為溝通方式、表達習慣，而感受到文化上的差異？分享你最近閱讀的好書，書籍不限語言，但本活動將以臺灣中文進行

• 地點 Location：Gianotten Mutsaers

• 報名連結 Registration：Tilburg 讀書會

Boba Meetup Groningen – Summer Picnic Edition

• 時間 Time：14 June, 13:00-15:00

• 集合地點 Meeting point：TvoorThee

• 報名連結 Registration：Boba Meetup Groningen

Den Bosch 城市散步

• 時間 Time：27 June, 13:30-16:00

• 集合地點 Meeting point：Coffee Lab Den Bosch 前的林蔭大道

• 報名連結 Registration：Den Bosch 城市散步

• 本活動將以臺灣中文進行

Boba Meetup Amsterdam – Summer Picnic Edition

• 時間 Time：27 June, 14:00-15:30

• 地點 Location：Westerpark

• 報名連結 Registration：Boba Meetup Amsterdam

Boba Meetup Utrecht – Summer Picnic Edition

• 時間 Time：28 June, 14:00-15:30

• 集合地點 Meeting point：9ijs

• 報名連結 Registration：Boba Meetup Utrecht

When focusing on architecture and streetscapes, “Taiwanese sensibility” becomes something very concrete. For example, the mosaic tiles on the exterior walls of older apartment buildings, their colors fading over time, sometimes unevenly, occasionally marked by small cracks; the outward-extending iron window grilles, which on closer inspection show traces of rust at the edges, yet still hold a few potted plants, along with clothes waiting to dry in the sun.

Strolling through the streets, Qilou 騎樓 are perhaps the most iconic feature of Taiwan’s urban landscape. Breakfast shops, beverage stores, and bento places line the sidewalks. Old and new signs light up on time each day, quietly marking the passage of time. Motorcycles crowd the entrances of homes, and you occasionally hear the sound of an engine just turned off, or the slow rumble of a metal gate being pulled down. Overhead, intersecting power lines form a barrier between the street and the sky.

A key element of “Taiwanese sensibility” is a sense of time. Taiwan’s cities were not built all at once through large-scale planning; they have grown gradually, layer by layer. As a result, traces from different eras overlap. Older buildings may carry new storefront signs, and freshly renovated walls may stand next to brand-new high-rises—all existing within the same time and space.

This atmosphere of “sensibility” often becomes especially noticeable at certain moments: at dusk, when the sky begins to darken and streetlights have just turned on; or after a rain, when the ground is wet and signs reflect in the pavement. In that instant, the entire street can feel unexpectedly still, as if gently reminding you not to overlook these everyday scenes.

In the end, Taiwanese sensibility is quite simple. It is the ordinary parts of daily life that Taiwanese people might consider a little messy or a little old—yet seen from a different perspective, they become landscapes filled with warmth and stories.

「臺灣感性」這個詞出現的越來越頻繁，不管是在社群媒體還是新聞媒體上。有趣的是，這是一股從南韓吹來的風，南韓人用「대만감성」來形容他們眼中的臺灣，那些很日常，甚至有點隨機的臺灣街景，那些沒有被刻意設計出來，且本就存在於生活裡的臺灣，如今換了一個角度被看見和提起。

如果聚焦在建築和街景，「臺灣感性」其實很具體。像是老公寓外牆貼著的馬賽克磁磚，因時間的洗禮而退去顏色，有時褪色還不太一致，甚至帶著些許細小的裂痕；往外延伸的鐵窗，仔細看邊角都有些生鏽了，但仍是可以乘載著幾盆植物，和那些等著被曬乾的衣服。

漫步在街頭，無處不在的騎樓，可說是最具代表性的臺灣街景。早餐店、飲料店、便當店林立，或新或舊的招牌，每天準時亮起，也無聲展示了時間的流動；住家門口停滿各式機車，偶爾傳來剛熄火的聲音，或是鐵門慢慢拉下來的聲響；走在街頭，交錯的電線是與天空之間的隔閡。

「臺灣感性」一個很關鍵的元素是「時間感」。臺灣的城市並非一次大規模地興建而成，而是一點一滴慢慢長出來的，所以會看到不同年代的痕跡疊加在一起；舊建築有著新招牌，或是嶄新大樓旁翻修過的牆面，全都存在同一個時間與空間。

而那種「感性」的氛圍，通常會在某些時刻特別明顯。像是傍晚天色變暗、路燈剛亮之時，或是下過雨後，濕濕的地板、反光的招牌；整條街在那一瞬，靜謐的異常，彷彿大聲提醒你，別錯過了這些美好。

說到底，臺灣感性其實很簡單，就是那些臺灣人可能覺得有點亂、有點舊的日常，在不同的視角下，成了一種有溫度、有故事的風景。

• 時間 Time：16 May, 14:30-16:30

• 地點 Location：Joto’s Boardgame Cafe

• 報名連結 Registration：Eindhoven 下班做什麼

Utrecht 下班做什麼

• 時間 Time：23 May, 14:30-16:30

• 地點 Location：Camping Ganspoort

• 報名連結 Registration：Utrecht 下班做什麼

Boba Meetup Groningen

• 時間 Time：24 May, 13:00-14:30

• 地點 Location：TvoorThee

• 報名連結 Registration：Boba Meetup Groningen

讀書會｜Amsterdam

• 時間 Time： 30 May, 14:00-16:00

• 主題 Topic：記憶中的臺灣味－撫慰你心的鄉愁之味

• 內容 Content：分享你最近閱讀的好書，書籍不限語言，但本活動將以臺灣中文進行

• 地點 Location：De Sering Centraal

• 報名連結 Registration：Amsterdam 讀書會

Boba Meetup Amsterdam – Summer Picnic Edition

• 時間 Time：31 May, 15:00-16:30

• 地點 Location：Westerpark

• 報名連結 Registration：Boba Meetup Amsterdam

《小島餐桌》徵稿啟事 by 發行人

在這次的主題徵稿，我們想多談談「家的味道」。它可以是家裡桌上熟悉的一道菜，也可以是在異鄉午夜夢迴之際，對某種食材氣味的特有回憶。無論你身處何處，看到這份徵稿啟事，若是產生記錄下內心隻字片語的感動，或許，這個主題正在對你說話。

讓我們一起把家的味道化為文字，為自己而寫。

主題：家的味道

期間：即日起至 2026 年 5 月30 日 23:59 分截止（荷蘭時間）

字數：中文 700 至 1000 字為上限，或荷文 500 字為上限

投稿作品須為未曾於任何書面或社交平台發表之文章，並以 Word 檔提交。《小島餐桌》為中荷雙語刊物，若作者以單一語言投稿，工作團隊會借助機器翻譯和人工校對處理譯稿。

若欲附圖，請以一張為上限，圖檔需為 300dpi 的 jpg 檔。

為了確保我們有收到你的稿件，投稿請一律以 word 檔與 jpg 檔附檔方式，寄至《小島餐桌》公用信箱 eteninnederland@gmail.com。我們收到信後，會以信件回覆確認稿件寄送成功。

註：因《小島餐桌》工作團隊為志工性質，將於完成審稿後，預計於六月中統一回覆徵稿結果。

《小島餐桌》創刊號：中文版｜Nederlands

Who is ABAO 阿爆（阿仍仍）?

ABAO Aljenljeng 阿爆（阿仍仍）is a Taiwanese Indigenous singer-songwriter of the Paiwan people (排灣族), one of Taiwan’s 16 officially recognized Indigenous nations. Her name Aljenljeng was given by her grandmother, since they share the same birthday, and with that bond came the weight of the elders' deep expectations for her.

She sings largely in the Paiwan language, a choice that is itself an act of cultural devotion.

“Kinakaian The Mother Tongue” Album

“Learn the greeting, learn the chant, learn what the tongue of a mother was made to say.”

The line opens kinakaian, and it tells you everything about what the album is trying to do. The word itself means "mother tongue" in Paiwan — and the album lives up to its name, rooting itself in language as the foundation of identity.

The album blends hip-hop, R&B, and electronic sounds with traditional Indigenous call-and-response chanting, creating a vibrant fusion that feels both modern and rooted. It’s the kind of music that naturally pulls you in—you don’t just listen, you feel it.

Throughout the songs, the listeners glimpse Paiwan daily life, stories of forbidden love, and the texture of spiritual tradition. Beneath all of it runs a quiet but powerful faith: language is not merely communication — it is memory, it is identity, it is the living soul of a people. By singing in Paiwan, ABAO makes that the stories, values, and ways of seeing the world embedded in that language are not lost to silence.

Where to start?

If you're new to her work, begin with her unplugged concert film Nanguaq: The Sound of Beauty, recorded with her collaborating team Nanguaq. Stripped of production, the performance lets voices, language, and story carry everything, a quiet, powerful introduction to what makes her music matter.

If the chanting moves you, follow it with Indigenous Chanting from Team Nanguaq — a collection of traditional chants drawn from different Indigenous peoples. Each carries its own distinct voice and character, yet together they share something unmistakable: an unhurried, unfiltered beauty that needs no translation.

A small note here: Nanguaq is a Paiwan word meaning beauty, fitting for a project dedicated to making an endangered language heard.

Held every March in Kaohsiung, Megaport Festival brings together over 100 musicians and bands. While some festivals take place in the mountains or deserts, Megaport Festival is held right at the edge of the harbor. The name “Megaport” (大港) refers to strong winds and powerful tides, and it is also a nod to the city’s former name. It symbolizes both Kaohsiung’s gritty industrial history and its bright, energetic future.

The real magic of the Megaport Festival lies in its wild collaborations. Imagine a heavy metal band like Flesh Juicer (血肉果汁機) sharing the stage with a legendary Taiwanese opera actress like Chen Ya-lan (陳亞蘭). It’s a mind-blowing mix of subculture and tradition that you won’t find anywhere else. I bet you’ve never seen a mosh pit by the harbor while a folk icon sings!

In 2025, we attended the Megaport Festival at the NGO Thematic Village as one of the exhibitors, sharing what we believe in and what we aim to achieve.

If you’re coming to Kaohsiung, the festival is just the beginning. If you’d like to explore Kaohsiung, there are some places you should definitely visit!

• Pier-2 Art Center (駁二特區): This is a must-visit for anyone who loves an artistic atmosphere. It’s a massive open-air gallery where old warehouses have been transformed into boutiques, cafés, and theaters.

  

• The Great Harbor Bridge (大港橋): Located right next to the festival area, this bridge is a masterpiece. It actually rotates, making it the perfect spot to watch the sunset over the water.

  

• Cijin Island (旗津): Take a quick five-minute ferry to visit the old lighthouse and enjoy some of the freshest seafood in the country.

• Dragon and Tiger Pagodas (龍虎塔): For a touch of traditional culture, head to Lotus Pond. Enter through the dragon’s mouth and exit through the tiger’s to bring yourself good luck!

  

What’s your opinion on the "must-visit" spots in Kaohsiung? Please let us know!

Leave a comment

Eindhoven 下班做什麼

• 時間 Time：18 April, 14:00-16:30

• 地點 Location：Joto’s Boardgame Cafe

• 報名連結 Registration：Eindhoven 下班做什麼

Amsterdam 下班做什麼

• 時間 Time：24 April, 18:00-20:00

• 地點 Location：Brouwerij ’t IJ - ’t Blauwe Theehuis

• 報名連結 Registration：Amsterdam 下班做什麼

Started out as an experimental hobby in 2018, Chirrp. is a Taiwanese band influenced by post rock, post punk, and shoegaze. My first encounter with the band was in 2021, when I met the vocalist and leader of Chirrp. in Utrecht. At that time, he was about to move back to Taiwan from Berlin to focus on making music. I had the chance to listen to an untitled demo, and it immediately won my heart.

Years later, Chirrp. released their debut album Lurid in summer 2025. They were also selected as top 10 new artists of the year by StreetVoice.

Live Houses in Taiwan

Live houses in Taiwan are often tiny, basement-like venues. They became incubators for bands rejecting Mandopop. That word-of-mouth culture gave experimental acts like Chirrp. the space to exist.

Give it a listen!

Lurid and more from Chirrp. are available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Bandcamp, and StreetVoice.

What music genre do you listen to? What band should I follow? Let me know in the comments below.

Who are we and why did we found TCA?

TCA was established by Yuling, a Taiwanese who has been living in the Netherlands since 2020. Moving abroad as an adult brought a unique experience of cultural integration. Living in Dutch society—learning new habits, adapting to a different pace of life, and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds—created an opportunity not only to integrate into a new environment but also to reflect more deeply on Taiwanese culture and identity.

Interestingly, it was only after leaving Taiwan that her understanding of Taiwan became clearer and deeper. Geographic distance offers a different perspective on how she sees Taiwan’s culture and her own identity.

Global migration is now very common, and many of us have friends or family members with mixed backgrounds or migration experiences. Discussions about identity have also become more frequent. As we know, identity is shaped not only by how we see ourselves, but also through our interactions with others and how we are perceived by them.

However, many people in Dutch society know Taiwan mainly through international politics or tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Yet Taiwan is far more than that. It is a vibrant, multicultural, democratic society with a rich history, diverse communities, and a significant global role in technology and trade.

Recognizing this gap in understanding and the need for opportunities for interaction, TCA was established as a community platform. Together with a dedicated group of volunteers, TCA organizes regular events in the Netherlands that bring together Taiwanese people and international or Dutch individuals interested in Taiwanese culture. Its goal is to build a thriving community where people can connect and share cultural experiences.

Our vision

Our vision is a society in which Taiwan is understood not only through geopolitical narratives but also through its culture and people.

Mutual understanding and appreciation in the society we live in together are important. We promote and support Taiwanese people, those with Taiwanese backgrounds, and those interested in Taiwan in expressing and exploring Taiwanese culture and identity.

We strongly believe that everyone in the Netherlands deserves recognition and respect. This is how we foster a diverse and inclusive community. Taiwanese people are an integral part of this community, and we deserve to be understood.

Our mission

Our mission is to create a welcoming community that brings together Taiwanese people and those interested in Taiwan through cultural exchange and dialogue.

We strive to:

• Promote a deeper understanding of Taiwan’s culture, history, and diversity.

• Encourage intercultural dialogue among Taiwanese, Dutch, and international communities.

• Provide a platform for Taiwanese people in the Netherlands to connect and share their experiences.

Taiwan is a country with more than 20 languages, multicultural communities, and diverse traditions. There is no single answer to the question, “What exactly is Taiwanese culture?”—and that diversity is precisely what makes Taiwan unique. Through TCA, we aim to share this richness with the world.

Providing shade and flexible space in a densely populated subtropical and tropical country—Taiwan, crossed by the Tropic of Cancer, experiences both climates—the Qilou is an indispensable architectural element. It functions as an extension of the living room, a semi-outdoor dining area, or even a parking space.

This porch-like fronting of the building also serves as an arcade or terrace. Its multifunctionality makes it almost untranslatable; even locals use multiple terms, though Qilou remains its official name in the Taiwan building code.

A True Architectural Fusion

From the 16th to the 19th century, the expansion of maritime trade and colonial activity—particularly by Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Britain—brought their architecture to East and Southeast Asia. Over time, many forms were influenced by local climates and original architectural designs, eventually giving rise to the Qilou.

As a variant of the veranda, Qilou represents a true architectural fusion. Its structure is easy to overlook. Some might walk through it all day, unaware of how seamlessly it connects the street with the building.

The Ambiguity of the Mismatched Jungle

The ambiguity of Qilou makes these cities unique. Unlike the cities that clearly distinguish residential from commercial areas, Qilou erased the line. People live over the Qilou and do business in the Qilou. This creates a mismatched jungle where offices, restaurants, temples, factories, workshops, clinics, markets, and stores cram together. Furthermore, Qilou provides an in-between area allowing pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and cars to coexist, effectively asking private property owners to contribute to the public space.

The Taiwanese Spirit of Sharing

Taiwan’s architects—who inherited eclecticism from Japanese colonial times—have taken the liberty to emphasize and legalize Qilou. It has come to embody the sharing nature of Taiwanese people; we share our space, and thereafter, the space shapes us. It has become more than a building code requiring space for sidewalks while maximizing floor ratio. Communities demand it because people need space to organically meet, intertwine, and even collide in everyday life. These recurring encounters—sheltered from rain and heat—are stories waiting to be told.

Edited by the editorial team of TCA

讀書會｜鹿特丹 Rotterdam

• 時間 Time： 7 March, 14:00-16:30

• 主題 Topic：離開臺灣之後，家是什麼？——臺灣人的移動與安放

• 內容 Content：分享你最近閱讀的好書，書籍不限語言，但本活動將以臺灣中文進行

• 地點 Location：Wereldmuseum Rotterdam

• 報名連結 Registration：鹿特丹讀書會

讀書會｜Tilburg

• 時間 Time： 14 March, 13:30-15:30

• 主題 Topic：我吃故我在，論臺灣的飲食文化

• 內容 Content：分享你最近閱讀的好書，書籍不限語言，但本活動將以臺灣中文進行

• 地點 Location：Anne&Max Tilburg

• 報名連結 Registration：Tilburg 讀書會

讀書會｜Hoofddorp

• 時間 Time： 28 March, 14:00-16:00

• 主題 Topic：臺灣鬼故事文化－解析臺灣鬼故事背後的文化意涵

• 內容 Content：分享你最近閱讀的好書，書籍不限語言，但本活動將以臺灣中文進行

• 地點 Location：Restaurant Lieveling

• 報名連結 Registration：Hoofddorp 讀書會

Boba Meetup Groningen

• 時間 Time：29 March, 13:00-14:30

• 地點 Location：TvoorThee

• 報名連結 Registration：Boba Meetup Groningen

Beyond food, music is another beautiful way to bring a Taiwanese vibe to this special moment (and of course, you can listen anytime you like). We’ve created a playlist featuring a mix of Taiwanese indie, mellow pop, and chill beats—sounds that immerse you in the atmosphere of Taiwan.

We hope you enjoy it, and wish you a Happy Lunar New Year.

Is there a specific artist or hidden gem we must talk about? Or is there any suggestion you would like to give to make us better.

Leave a comment or DM us. Your suggestion might just become our next lead story!

Leave a comment

To respond to this confusion, we organized a thematic book club titled “I Eat, Therefore I Am: On Taiwanese Food Culture.” Each participant brought a book of their choice—not only to share their reflections, but also to collectively grapple with this very question. The sharing sparked many rich discussions and lines of thought. This piece is the crystallization of those conversations, and we hope it will inspire more people to think about ”What Is Taiwanese Cuisine?“

The term “Taiwanese cuisine” first appeared during the period of Japanese colonial rule (1895–1945). Japanese colonizers used it to describe refined banquet dishes they encountered in restaurants—meals made with local Taiwanese ingredients and blended with elements of Minnan, Cantonese, and Japanese cuisines. This was “Taiwanese cuisine” as seen through a colonial lens: food for elite social occasions, not everyday fare. Over time, however, the term has come to be widely used to describe all kinds of daily cooking by Taiwanese people.

Through our discussions, we realized that everyday home cooking varies greatly from family to family, shaped by geography, ethnicity, history, and even the occupations and lifestyles of family members. This diversity is precisely what defines Taiwanese cuisine. One could even say, “Any dish cooked by a Taiwanese person is Taiwanese cuisine.” In the act of cooking—whether or not we follow a recipe—we unconsciously reproduce the methods we absorbed while growing up, the ways our family members cooked, and the ingredients we are most familiar with. What we can imagine is often the key to whether a dish can be cooked at all. This is why, even after moving abroad, the food Taiwanese people cook naturally carries a distinctly “Taiwanese character.”

Taiwan is a society of remarkable ethnic diversity. In addition to Indigenous peoples who have lived on the island for generations (currently 16 groups are officially recognized, though there may be more that have gradually disappeared through assimilation), there are Minnan and Hakka people who migrated across the Taiwan Strait from the Ming and Qing empires between the 16th and 19th centuries, bringing their cultures with them. Layered onto this are the impacts of Japanese colonial rule, the Kuomintang (KMT) relocated the Republic of China (ROC) to Taiwan, and, in more recent times, the increasing ease of international travel. All of this has shaped Taiwanese cuisine into a profoundly hybrid culinary tradition.

From the perspective of ingredients, Taiwanese cuisine revolves around staples such as rice, pork, and sweet potatoes. Modern Taiwanese soy sauce and rice vinegar, influenced by fifty years of Japanese colonial rule, are technically closer to Japanese methods than to Chinese ones. During our thematic book club gathering, one participant described Taiwanese cuisine’s flavor profile with striking concision and accuracy: “ingredient-centered.” Taiwanese cooking places great emphasis on showcasing the natural flavors of ingredients and avoids heavy seasoning. Freshness and texture are therefore crucial. Overall, the flavors tend to be gently sweet and mellow. Perhaps, the next time someone asks you what Taiwanese cuisine is, this is how you might answer.

Related Video:

This video doesn’t have English subtitles, but we believe you can find a way to watch it, since we are in a convenient AI age.

Our Thematic Book Club Recaps:

為了回應這個疑惑，我們舉辦了一場以「我吃故我在，論臺灣的飲食文化」為題的讀書會，邀請參加者各自帶來一本書，不只分享閱讀心得，也嘗試回應這個問題。在分享的過程中，激發出許多相當精彩的討論與思考，因此這篇文即是我們讀書會的結晶，希望能激發更多人對臺灣料理的思考。

「臺灣料理」一詞最早出現在日本殖民時期（1895-1945 年），日本殖民者將當時在酒樓吃到的精緻宴席料理稱作「臺灣料理」，通常為使用臺灣本地食材並混合閩菜、粵菜、日本料理等的融合菜系，是殖民者視角下的「臺灣料理」，為菁英階級應酬時的菜餚，並非庶民料理。隨著時代演變至今，「臺灣料理」一詞被廣泛地使用在各式臺灣人的日常料理。

我們在讀書會討論的過程中發現，每個家庭的日常料理，會因為地理、族群、歷史、家族成員的工作狀態等，而有相當大的差異；這種多元的狀態正是臺灣料理的特色，也可以說「任何臺灣人煮的菜，就是臺灣料理」，因為在烹飪的過程中，不論是否依循食譜，我們都會不自覺地複製成長過程中，烙印在腦海中家人煮菜的方式，也會選用相對熟悉的食材；「能否想像」是一道菜是否能被煮出來的關鍵。因此，即使移居他國後，臺灣人煮出來的料理，自然地會有一個「臺灣性格」在其中。

臺灣是一個族群相當多元的國家。我們不只有世代居住於此的原住民族群（目前官方認定有 16 族，但實際上可能還有更多，因為被同化而日漸消失），也有 16-19 世紀間從當時的大明國、大清帝國渡海移民來臺的閩南人與客家人，承載著各自的文化世代居住在此；再加上近代日本殖民、國民黨帶著中華民國遷臺等歷史因素的影響，以及現代社會出國旅遊日漸普及的背景，臺灣料理成為一個超級融合菜系。

從食材的角度來看，臺灣料理圍繞著米、豬肉、地瓜等食材發展；而現代臺灣的醬油與米醋，則受到日本殖民臺灣 50 年的影響，在技術上更接近日本而非中國。讀書會中，一位參加者以極其精簡卻精準的詞彙形容臺灣料理的味道：「食材本位」；臺灣料理非常重視呈現食材的原味，會避免過度調味，因此食材的新鮮度與口感都相當重要。在整體口味上也偏甜且溫潤。也許未來，當有人問起何謂臺灣料理時，你可以這樣回答。

讀書會閱讀清單：

• 朱美虹《田野裡的古早味》

• 焦桐《臺灣舌頭》 —— 臺灣味道三部曲之一，另兩本分別為《臺灣肚皮》、《臺灣味道》

• 魏貝珊 Clarissa Wei《台灣製造：MIT台菜與台灣味，台灣人的飲食故事》

• 陳靜宜《喔！臺味原來如此：潤餅裡包什麼，透露你的身世！20種常民小吃的跨境尋跡與風味探索》

• 魚夫《台灣百年市場：從北到南，和魚夫一起探看25個流轉百年的菜市風華》

• 林致遠《意外辦桌：掌握台菜文化、刀工、烹調技巧，重溫鹹香甘甜的古早味！》

• 范雅鈞 《台灣酒的故事》

• Chez Kuo 《滷肉飯寶島 LUROUFAN TAIWAN》

• 陳玉箴 《台灣菜的文化史：食物消費中的國家體現》

• 曾齡儀《沙茶：戰後潮汕移民與臺灣飲食變遷》

• 胖胖樹 王瑞閔《舌尖上的東協─東南亞美食與蔬果植物誌：既熟悉又陌生，那些悄然融入台灣土地的南洋植物與料理》

• 蔡珠兒《紅燜廚娘》

• Fuchsia Dunlop《Invitation to a banquet》

• 楊猛 《唐人街飄香 》

• 前川智《圖解人體最便捷的能量來源 醣類：零概念也能樂在其中！瞭解醣類的功能＆機轉》

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