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Salty and Full of Flavor Set Meal
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Palatable Reads: Literature Seasoned with the Flavors of Taiwan
Salty and Full of Flavor Set Meal
Salt is an indispensable part of Taiwanese cuisine: salted egg, salted vegetables, salty congee, salted pork, salty fried chicken, salty boiled chicken, salty pork and egg layer cake, salty ice pops, and much more. But, I don't mean for you to eat too much salt and then to guzzle water to wash it all down. The flavor should be a balanced mix of sweet and savory that leaves a pleasant and lingering aftertaste in the mouth. In that way, you can take some time out of your busy schedule to spend some quality time with your "salt baes."
Salted Vegetables (Pu Cai) 鹹 菜.jpg)
Oh! Salted veggies! Pig's blood! I cheer. Salted veggies, especially those from the old veggie lady, cooked with pig's blood is so delicious I always get three bowls. (......) She squeezes the water from the veggies and dries them until they are semi-dry. Then, she puts them in a narrow-mouthed urn and turns it upside down. This is called pu cai. Whether it be her salted veggies or pu cai, every family in our village loves it. She gives them away all the time.
◖ Lee Qiao "Old Veggie Lady" in The Complete Works of Lee Chiao's Short Stories Volume 3, 1967
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About the Author:
Lee Qiao writes mainly novels, but also writes essays and prose. Lee once stated that his works tend to "focus mostly on portraying the daily lives of the general public, and serve as the voice of the underserved common folk." Thus, his novels are written with a determined and realistic style. Lee believes that his most important work is the "Cold Night Trilogy" which includes Sole Lamp, Wintry Night, and Abandoned Village. Set during the late-Qing period and the Japanese occupation period, these works profoundly highlight the suffering of the people and the dignity of human nature.
Congee with Yard Long Beans 菜 豆 仔 粥
Thinking back to the salty congee I used to cook, i never put luxurious ingredients like mushrooms or minced pork in it. If the congee had a little lard, spring onion, or even some scraps of meat, it could be considered a filling and satisfying bowl indeed.
◖ Xiao Ping-zhi, "Congee with Yard Long Beans" in Father's Antler Pipe, 2002
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About the Author:
Xiao Ping-zhi is a retired teacher of Tian Jhong Elementary School. He is a Taiwanese language consultant for the Changhua International Education Center and director of PASOA. An expert at teaching and writing in Taiwanese, he has written many works in the Taiwanese language.
Salted Popsicles 鹹 冰 棒.jpg)
He finished a salted almond popsicle and then had an egg yolk-flavored one, which were not too bad. The two looked at Salt Mountain that was like a ski resort and licked away at their popsicles. (......) He said if the mountain Yu Gong moved had been made of salt, many people probably would have come and helped.
◖ Yu Wen-cheng, "What he said, about love" in Era of Less Salt, Less Sugar, 2017
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About the Author:
Born Cheng Yu-wen, Yu Wen-cheng's works include mostly novels and essays. She specializes in novels about the love of urban men and women, while her prose displays the delicate craftsmanship unique to women. She used to write Everlasting Fairy Tales: The Biography of Qi Jun about the famous author Qi Jun. Her recent works include Era of Less Salt, Less Sugar and I am the Most Compact Container to Carry Today's Clouds.
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Fisherman Nation Set Meal
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