In cooperation with the Overseas Community Affairs Council, the Hakka
Affairs Council has launched the “2019-2020 Hakka Cuisine Touring Workshop (海外客家行動灶下)” program for promoting Hakka delicacies on the
world stage. Collaborating with overseas Hakka associations and Taiwan’s
representative offices around the world, Hakka culinary delegations are heading
for different countries in North America, Oceania, and Asia this year, and will
set off for Africa, South America, and Europe in 2020.
The tour started from Texas’s Houston in the United States. With the
help of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Houston and the Hakka
Association of Houston (休士頓客家會), Hakka chefs Wen Kuo-chi (溫國智) and Chiu
Yu-han (邱聿涵) gave Hakka food classes at Campbell Learning
School and the Culture Center of TECO on June 15 and 16, presenting the Hakka cuisine
of preserved vegetables and demonstrating how to pickle the Hakka way. Creative
Hakka dishes cooked by the two chefs received high praise from local participants.
On June 17 and 18, the workshop was held alongside an exhibition on
Hakka culture at the Museum of
Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), which is one of the biggest museums in the U.S.
The exhibition featured Hakka foods, artworks made with indigo dye, and
photographs of Taiwan Romantic Route 3. This is the first time that the workshop
partnered with a museum, and the combination of Hakka cuisine and the arts fascinated
the attendees. Wen also wooed connoisseurs with his exquisite food carvings in
shape of the Tung blossom — the universal symbol of Hakka heritage.
The opening ceremony was attended by Bradley Bailey, curator of Asian
art at MFAH; Peter Chen (陳家彥), director-general
of TECO in Houston; Wang Gan-xiong (汪幹雄),
chairperson of the Hakka Association of Houston; Fukushima Hideo (福島秀夫), consul-general of Japan; Kim Hyung Gil, consul-general
of the Republic of Korea; Jerril G. Santos, consul-general of the Philippines; Anupam Ray, consul-general
of India; and Rod Windham, political
coordinator of iHeartMedia, Inc.
The delegates traveled to Colorado and held another session at Denver
First Church on June 21. The two chefs prepared traditional Hakka dishes,
including fried Mi Si Mu (米篩目), also known as rice sieve noodles; mesona chicken soup (仙草雞); and the classic dessert Niu Wen Shui (牛汶水), which consists
of sticky rice cakes with brown sugar and ginger juice. Local officials and
residents were invited to enjoy the unique Hakka flavors and experience the distinctive
Hakka culture.
The 2019-2020 Hakka Cuisine Touring Workshop is now heading for Canada, with stops scheduled in Vancouver for June 23 to 26, and events slated for Toronto from June 27 to 30. Follow the program on Facebook to receive the latest updates: www.facebook.com/Hakkafoodtour.