From April 24th to 26th 2017, the Taipei Representative Office in Ireland, in collaboration with the Taiwan-Ireland Association and Dublin Mandarin School and with the support of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) hosted three Taiwanese Culinary Demonstrations to help promote Taiwanese culture and food. Over the three days, culinary demonstrations were held at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), Dublin Mandarin School and Howth Castle Cookery School. Representatives from education, INGO, media, culinary schools, food critics, members of the local Taiwanese community and other interested participants and friends attended the three classes. The demonstrations proved to be extremely successful and were well received by all present.
The first demonstration was held on April 24th in the Kathleen O’Sullivan Theatre in DIT with “Dublin School of Mandarin Chinese” Principal Evan Liu acting as Master of Ceremonies and translator. The event featured the preparation of exquisite dishes, dim sum and a fruit carving demonstration. Showcasing their skills were Professor Cheng-Chung Chen of the prestigious National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism, and Master Chef Mr. Xander Li. The two chefs provided those present with an exquisite culinary demonstration, featuring cookery skills that impressed the audience. The event proved to be a great success and displayed Taiwan's exquisite food culture at its very best, helping to greatly promote Taiwan’s culture.
In his opening remarks, Representative Simon Tu stated that Taiwan's exquisite food culture was shaped by local and international influences, including Hakka and traditional Taiwanese dishes. Taiwanese gourmet cuisine features a combination of visual delights, beautiful aromas and rich taste. It combines exquisite ingredients with artistic and aesthetic experience to produce a beautiful end result. The culinary demonstration also featured posters depicting Taiwan’s beautiful scenery and introduction booklets were provided for the guests. The demonstration and booklets helped those present gain a better understanding of Taiwan's culture and art. In addition to sampling the chef’s beautiful culinary displays, there were Taiwanese desserts (including dumplings, radish cakes and glutinous rice) all of which helped satisfy the guests.
Professor Chen and Mr. Li held two further demonstrations on April 25th and 26th, in the Dublin Mandarin School and the famous Howth Castle Cookery School respectively. Chairman of the Taiwan Ireland Association Mr. Frank Lu also attended the demonstration. The guests were treated to superb cooking skills and were invited to try their hand themselves. The chef’s helped to promote a lively interaction with the volunteers who had the opportunity to learn a great deal from the two masters. After the demonstrations there was an opportunity to sample the teachers’ Taiwanese finger food. The receptions also allowed for lively conversation and helped to exchange the viewpoints.
Photo Caption 1: Representative Tu speaking to the audience at the Taiwanese Culinary Demonstration 2017 at Culinary School of DIT
Photo Caption 2: Representative Tu speaking to the nearly 200 people present in DIT for the demonstration
Photo Caption 3: Professor Chen provided a wonderful demonstration of his cookery and fruit carving skills
Photo Caption 4: A few selection of the exquisite dishes prepared by Professor Chen and Mr. Li
Photo Caption 5: Representative Tu (right) with two teachers, the Head of DIT’s School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology: Mr. Frank Cullen (second from right) and Professor Mike O'Connor (left)
Photo Caption 6: Representative Tu (centre), Professor Chen (right) and Mr. Li (left) at the reception with INGO representatives
Photo Caption 7: Representative Tu making his welcoming speech in demonstration at the “Dublin School of Mandarin Chinese”
Photo Caption 8: Professor Chen demonstrating his culinary skills at the “Dublin School of Mandarin Chinese”
Photo Caption 9: “Dublin School of Mandarin Chinese” principal Ms. Evan Liu hosted the event
Photo Caption 10: Representative and Mrs. Tu (centre) Professor Chen (centre left) and Mr. Li (left) with members of the local Taiwanese community and Irish friends
Photo Caption 11: Representative Tu making his welcoming speech at the prestigious Howth Castle Cookery School where he spoke about food culture in Taiwan
Photo Caption 12: Professor Chen demonstrating his wonderful cooking and fruit carving skills to the audience at Howth Castle Cookery School
Photo Caption 13: Professor Chen invited the guests to participate in the cooking skill
Photo Caption 14: Representative and Mrs. Tu (centre), Professor Chen (right) and Mr. Li (left) with the head chef of the Howth Castle Cookery School
Photo Caption 15: Taiwan-Ireland Association Chairman Mr. Frank Lu translating for the audience during the demonstration at Howth Castle Cookery School
Photo Caption 16: Representative Tu with Professor Chen, Mr. Li and guests after the demonstration at Howth Castle Cookery School
