Setouchi International Art Festival Part 8: Cooking, Learning, and Eating Dishes in Fukuda

Editor's note: The 2013 Setouchi Triennale in Japan officially opened on July 20, and a Taiwanese team also took part in this grand event this time, interacting with Japanese residents through art and food. The author of this article is the Taiwanese chef representative who took part in the "Asian Kitchen", and wrote down her reflections on the process.

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Preparing Food to Thank the Villagers, a Tough Kitchen Battle

After the Taiwanese cooking workshop, what came right next was preparing food for 30 people to thank the villagers. The kitchen team had not yet met one another, so I was a bit worried, not knowing what the equipment and workflow would be like. What utensils would be available in this newly added kitchen? In the past I have had the chance to work in all kinds of different kitchens, with utensils that could be plentiful or simple, and I have always tried to make myself more minimal, giving up the utensils or knives I was used to and adapting to all kinds of different kitchens. This time in Japan I also gave up the tongs I normally rely on, which I use to arrange finished dishes on plates, and switched to chopsticks that can be found anywhere, adapting to their feel.

As for the menu arrangement, because the ground meat purchased was insufficient, I immediately deleted the stuffed bitter melon dish and replaced it with pumpkin rice noodles, and prepared a radish-dried omelette as a backup. In the kitchen, Lai Hei-hei and staff member Mieko helped me, and there was also great music. Our pace could still keep up with the schedule, but the size of the stove openings and pots limited how many could be used at the same time, so we still had to allocate our time well. At the same time, we also spent a lot of time looking for things. Fortunately, the food was served one dish after another, only the rice noodles were a bit slow.

Taiwanese people's character when hosting guests is that they must make sure everyone eats to satisfaction and fullness, so we exceeded the small Japanese portions and really let everyone eat until very, very full.