Taiwanese beef noodle soup (红烧牛肉面) is a dish I had always been aware of and tried occasionally when I visited family in China, but it was not until this year’s pandemic that I had the opportunity to learn and make it at home with my family. The name in Chinese directly translates to “red cooked beef noodle soup” and it describes the dish well: with the slow cooking of the beef and the warm spices in the broth, this dish never fails to make me feel warm and satiated on a cold day. This course has taught me to look beyond the flavors of a dish and reflect more on how a dish represents a country’s culture, such as its social infrastructure, resource availability, as well as how it affects me individually, along with my family.

The pandemic prompted many people to pick up hobbies to do at home, and cooking and learning new recipes became my mom’s. The first time she made this dish for me I thought it was so delicious, and since then I have been constantly asking her to make it for me. It seemed only fitting I would do my noodle project on this dish. Already halfway through this course, we have studied a lot of Chinese and Italian gastronomy and it was interesting for me to apply the concepts of equilibrium and balance in a diet to this dish. Considering how a jade cabbage/depiction of a Bok choy is one of Taiwan’s most popular attractions and prized possessions, it is not surprising how culturally rich the cuisine is. When reading articles about the origins and history of this dish, one article mentioned how “every Taiwanese person has had a bowl of beef noodle soup from a specific vendor that they can’t forget… it holds a special place in their hearts and memories.” Not only can a dish reflect a country’s cuisine at a certain time period, but it can also remind the eater of fond memories.

To start, the dish’s components include tender beef, noodles, and vegetables to top it all off. This reminded me of the fan-cai principle we learned about from our readings on Chinese gastronomy. The fan-cai principle describes how a proper meal should have both fan, or grains and other carbohydrate foods that fill up the eater, and cai, the dishes that are meant to flavor the fan. In the case of Taiwanese beef noodle soup, I found that the fan-cai principle is satisfied with just one dish. The noodles provide the grains and carbohydrate element, and the Bok choy, beef, and tomatoes provide the extra nutrients and protein and serve as the cai element. This makes the dish convenient, easy to consume, and accessible to all people. The accessible ingredients and widespread popularity of the dish can provide us with insights about the economic standing of the nation at the time. The ingredients itself are not expensive or rare, and the dish could be enjoyed by people of all social statuses.

Interestingly enough, until the nineteenth century, eating beef was prohibited and there were folk tales of animals taking revenge on farmers for butchering ox for food. It was not until the meat-centered Western diet spread to Japanese society that Taiwan started exporting beef, and by the 1930’s beef began to slowly become more incorporated into their cuisine. After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, Taiwanese beef noodle soup was created by the refugees who missed the taste of home and was spread across the nations through street vendors. It is now one of the most popular dishes served in Taiwan! It was really interesting to see how much a single dish could teach me about the history of Taiwanese cuisine. The act of eating food reminiscent of home to create a home away from home makes a lot of sense to me. Whenever I’m away from home on campus, I like to eat and cook dishes that I would often eat at home. Hopefully I can add this recipe to my list of dishes to eat when I’m missing home.

Overall, this project was a really great learning experience for me. Personally, I don’t know many recipes and I usually depend on simple meals when I’m living on campus, so it was new for me to learn a recipe that required such a variety of spices and ingredients for the broth. The cooking process was enjoyable for me because due to my mom’s busy schedule, there aren’t many opportunities when we are able to do something together. This project gave me the opportunity to destress and enjoy a delicious meal, as well as learn more about Taiwanese culture. My family is not from Taiwan, and I grew up eating mostly mild and slightly sweet foods from Shanghai cuisine, so this project was a great opportunity for me to learn about other cultures and customs. When I return back to campus in the fall and live with my roommates, hopefully I will be able to recreate this dish to remind myself of my mom’s home cooking.