Taiwan, Japanese culinary students cook up a storm

During the visit, the Japanese students demonstrated how to make such famous Japanese delicacies as “maki sushi” — or sushi rolls — and traditional Japanese cake, only to be amazed by the same level of skills demonstrated by their Taiwanese counterparts, who made beef noodles, prawns with peanuts, and peanut pudding.

Beef noodles are some of the best-loved and most popular dishes enjoyed here in Taiwan, where small- to large-size beef noodle restaurants are common on streets, in residential alleyways or in night markets. Beef noodles are so popular that Taipei City has held an annual Beef Noodle Festival for the past several years — in a push to have beef noodles enjoy the same international reputation as spaghetti and “ramen,” Japanese hand-pulled noodles.

Prawns with peanuts are among the most popular mainstays in Taiwanese restaurants; it’s a favorite for the prawns’ near-crispy texture and spicy broth.

The Japanese, meanwhile, proved no less skillful as they made sushi rolls as well as cherry flower green pea cake, a must-have snack during the “Hinamatsuri,” or Japanese Doll Festival that takes place every year on Mar. 3.

According to Kai-Ping officials, the Taiwanese dishes left the Japanese wanting more, so later on they visited the Shihlin Night Market, one of Taipei City’s most famous draws, to enjoy even more traditional snacks.

Ouka and Kai-Ping first became known to each other last year when they both took part in an international culinary contest for high school students in Taiwan.

“It is our hope that we can engage in more bilateral exchanges, to broaden our students’ horizons and put Taiwan food on the international stage,” Kai-Ping officials said.

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