Passport to Taiwan Festival 2018

擂茶

This tasty beverage is a popular specialty in Taiwan that originated from its Hakka population. Comprised of roasted nuts, puffed rice and tea that are typically crushed in a mortar and pestle right before brewing, it's practically as satisfying as a protein shake. 

捏麵人

Often seen in temples fairs, figurines made from steamed sticky rice and flour dough are not only artistically pleasant to watch but also can be eaten as treats.  Traditionally figurines are made into characters from legendary stories but cartoon characters are more popular now.

台灣黑熊紋身貼紙 

Show your pride for Taiwan and raise awareness for Formosan Black Bear!  The Bear has been voted as the most representative wildlife of Taiwan but severe exploitation and habitat degradation has resulted in large decline of their population.

香包製作

Before medicine was highly developed, herbs were inserted into cloth bags and worn in the summertime to protect against of insects. As the custom developed, these bags gradually became more ornate and colorful including expressive needlework.

書法

This is an art form with symbols. It is through the flying, dancing strokes of the characters that the calligrapher expresses a rhythm, a direction of energy, and an image of ink in motion. 

姓氏別針

Family name is important in Taiwan’s society. Find out how you would be called in Taiwan and write your family name and have the character made into a button!

粿模製作

Kuei is an integral part to the traditions in Taiwan that has the role of cake in the western world. They are mostly made with rice flour and combined either with sweet or savory fillings then pressed into shape in moulds with beautiful carvings. 

竹製玩具

Toys in earlier times were made from natural materials. Most utilize bamboo as they were readily available around Taiwan.  Craftmaster will be demonstrating “Land Crackers”, “Bamboo Cicadas” and “Bamboo Tops” toys.

Funding for activities is sponsored by Department of Youth & Community Development, City of New York.

Potstickers, Fried Noodles, and BBQ Squid

Freshly pan-fried dumplings or potstickers are an everyday street food in Taiwan, as are pan-fried noodles with assorted additions. Large squid that's been marinated and grilled are cut to bite-size pieces for delicious snacking as well. 

Hakka Foods

The Hakka people are a unique cultural group from China that have been in Taiwan since the 1600s, and comprise some 15-20% of Taiwan's current population. Its rustic food traditions play heavily into Taiwanese cuisine, including the prominent use of rich and offal cuts of pork and dried seafood. 

Taiwanese Sausage 

Taiwanese pork sausages are similar to Cantonese lap cheong sausages, but they're a bit sweeter. You can often find them grilled up by street vendors and served on a stick. Or, served in a bag along with whole, raw garlic cloves—a great complement. 

Gua Bao (Taiwanese Pork Buns)

The classic Taiwanese bao is an open-style bun with a red-braised slab of pork belly, showered with crushed peanuts, cilantro, and pickled mustard greens. It's an intense few bites of joy, and it's nickname is "Tiger Bites Pig" because its shape resembles a tiger biting into a meaty piece of swine.

O A Jian (Oyster Omelet)

A classic street food that has roots in China, this pancake includes oysters as well as starchy water that's poured into the pan, creating a clear jelly swirled in between the egg and oysters. It's topped off with sweet-and-savory tomato-based sauce.

O A Mi Suan (Thin Noodles with Oysters)

This delicious noodle soup has very fine wheat noodles that, when combined with broth, create a viscous texture in the soup. It's commonly served with oysters or tripe, and classic garnish include white pepper, black vinegar and cilantro. 

Oden / Tian Bu La 

Bite-sized fish cakes come in all shapes and colors in Taiwan, and they're sometimes served on a stick, shishkabob-style. A simple snack or topping for a noodle soup.

Dan Bing (Scallion Pancake with Egg)

A popular snack or breakfast food served up at street food stands in Taiwan, a scallion pancake is cooked with a fried egg attached to it on a griddle. The whole thing is rolled up and sliced, usually served with sauce on the side.

Zong ZI (Bamboo Tamale)[Bah-Tsang]

These packets of sticky rice are wrapped in large leaves such as that of the lotus, and they can be stuffed with an assortment of sweet or savory fillings, such as minced pork. It is a traditional dish of the Chinese holiday Duanwu Festival, or the Dragon Boat Festival.[Bah-Tsang]

Grass Mochi

These jade-green treats are made from glutinous starches and a leafy herb known as the Japanese Mugwort. It's considered a popular spring treat, and has sweet fillings such as red bean paste.

Red Tortoise Cake

These festive little cakes can be found throughout China, Southeast Asia and Taiwan. Made of a sticky rice starch skin and a sweet filling (such as peanut or bean paste), they're similar to mochi. But they're elaborately molded to resemble a tortoise's shell to signify longevity.

Lu Rou Fan (Minced Pork Sauce Over Rice)

This classic comfort food might be thought of as the Taiwanese equivalent to ragu sauce—a long-simmered stew of minced pork with soy sauce and five-spice that's served over rice.

Wai Gui (Savory Rice Pudding)

These bowls of solidified sticky rice flour are seasoned and topped with savory goodies like minced pork, egg and/or mushrooms. It's also known as a Rice Bowl Cake.

Ba Wan (Pork and Bamboo Dumplings)

This classic snack has a translucent dough made of sweet potato starch, and is stuffed with a savory minced pork and bamboo shoot filling. It can be fried or steamed, and is served with plenty of sauce. It's an example of old-fashioned Taiwanese street food, before wheat-based dumplings were introduced by mainlanders in the last century.

Blood Pudding Cake

This popular street food is made of a block of pig's blood pudding, which might sound intense, but is actually very mild in flavor. It's covered all over with crushed peanut powder and cilantro, and served on a stick, like a popsicle.

This street food tradition involves a bubbling broth to which any number of meats, veggies, noodles, tofu, fish balls and more are braised in nets. The broth is deeply flavorful from having braised so many things, ensuring that every morsel is delicious in short time.

Ai-Yu Jelly

This refreshing cold jelly is made from the seeds of a plant known as the awkeotsang creeping fig. It's lightly sweetened and popularly served with lime.

Ice Cream Crepe with Peanuts & Cilantro

Ice cream is rolled up into a freshly griddled pancake, or crepe, and topped with lots of crushed peanut powder and cilantro. It's a delicious dessert popularized at night market stands around Taiwan. 

Bao Bing (Shaved Ice Dessert)

Patrons can choose their own topping combinations, including fresh fruit, sweetened red beans, tapioca pears, and sweet dumplings made of taro or sweet potato, to go with a bowl of shaved ice and a drizzle of sweetened condensed milk. It's Taiwan's version of a sundae.

Wheel Cake

This popular dessert is a relic of the Japanese occupation. Best enjoyed warm off the iron, cake batter is poured in a hot iron mold, similar to a Belgian waffle-maker, and filled with a sweet filling—often red bean paste or vanilla custard. In Japan, these cakes are known as imagawayaki, but in Taiwanese, they translate to "wheel cake." 

Boba Tea

Possibly Taiwan's most popular culinary export, Boba (or Bubble) Tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s and has quickly spread around the globe. It starts with bouncy tapioca balls that are dropped into the tea to slurp up with a big straw. Iced sweetened black tea with milk is classic, but the teas or juices that can be enjoyed with boba are limitless.

紐約市消防局

www.nyc.gov/fdny

via NADAP

www.nadap.org

台灣人公共事務會 

www.fapa.org

台灣會館

www.nytaiwancenter.us

北美福智基金會

www.blisswisdom.org

By Sasha Chou Photography

www.picvoyage.net

牛頭牌 by TMI Trading

www.facebook.com/BullHead.BBQSauce.USA

New York Office of OCAC, Taiwan

www.ocac.gov.tw/newyork

The Formosa Association of Student Cultural Ambassadors

www.ocac.gov.tw/newyork

Advertising Agency

http://iwgroup.agency

華隆有限公司

http://www.walong.com

新澤西中文學校協會

http://www.anjcs.org

台灣紐約商會

上選亞洲

http://www.asiabyfrida.com

騎鐵馬看台灣

https://brommieyummie.wordpress.com/bike-to-see-taiwan/

和樂公司

http://welluck.com

台灣國家寶藏

https://www.nationaltreasure.tw

島嶼蠟燭

https://www.ilhacandles.com

韋凱琳臺菜食譜

http://thefoodoftaiwan.com

台灣觀光局

NY Office of Taiwan Tourism Bureau

Ministry of Transportation, Taiwan.

Offers 4 direct flights to Taipei weekly

https://www.china-airlines.com/us/en

Offers daily direct flight to Taipei from JFK

Home of the Hello Kitty Jets

https://www.evaair.com

IACE

佳美旅遊

翠明假期