Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation

For a limited time we have bookplates signed by Clarissa Wei.

Resolute in its conviction that Taiwanese food is a distinct national cuisine, Made in Taiwan supports that idea with cultural context, history, and recipes that reflect many layers of influence over centuries.

Clarissa Wei, born and raised in the US by immigrant Taiwanese parents but now a journalist based in Taipei, writes with Ivy Chen, a Taiwan-born culinary instructor. Through a variety of means they reveal regional differences within the country, distinguish the practices of indigenous cooks from later arrivals, and tell the stories of many Taiwanese cooks.

Seafood is a common ingredient, as are sweet potatoes which thrive in the island’s subtropical climate. Street foods are beloved, and sweetness creeps into many dishes, especially in the south of the country.

Among the dishes which stood out for us:

• Peddler noodles, made with homemade noodles, shrimp, pork belly, garlic, and bean sprouts
• Fried mackerel thick soup
• Smoked betel leaf pork sausage
• Preserved daikon omelet
• Sun cake (“a lard-infused dessert stuffed with maltose sugar”)

Wei and Chen provide very detailed recipes, often supported by step-by-step photos, and ingredient measurements are in both Imperial and metric systems. All recipes are rendered in English with Mandarin and Taiwanese characters and transliterations.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.