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From matcha cake rolls to beef skewers: The best things I ate at New England's largest Taiwanese festival

Through an interpreter, he said the Taiwanese salmon stew he was making would feature sour, sweet, and savory flavors in every bite. Chef Wen Kuo-Chih cooks in front of a live audience at the Taiwanese festival in Newton, Mass. Alexa Gagosz Kuo-Chih, who is CEO of Ying Jia Catering Consulting Co., won the gold medal in the 2013 Ten Outstanding Young Men competition in Taiwan and in the 2012 World Cooking Contest in Singapore. But last weekend he was cooking for dozens of onlookers at the largest Taiwanese festival in New England, an annual event organized by the Using a wooden spoon, Kuo-Chih measured out heaping piles of potato starch and white pepper before pouring in soy sauce and an inky-black rice vinegar traditionally used in East Asian cuisine that brings out malty flavors and a distinct Advertisement A Taiwanese salmon stew. Alexa Gagosz The stew was later served in white plastic bowls to a crowd that included dignitaries, neighbors, and the president of Advertisement Taiwan is a self-governing island of Beef and lamb skewers at the Taiwanese Festival in Newton, Mass. Alexa Gagosz Telling the success stories of Taiwanese restaurants and other businesses in America 'is important to us as a people,' Nicholas Lu, whose two daughters and their husbands own restaurants in Rhode Island, told me. 'Because China does not allow us to use our name, to say we are Taiwanese.' One thing that separates the Taiwanese people from China is Beef noodle soup is most widely known as the national dish of Taiwan, and is celebrated through an annual festival in Taipei and battled over in A spread of chicken pepper buns at a Taiwanese festival in Newton, Mass. Alexa Gagosz Taiwan is a destination for street stalls and food you can eat on-the-go, while standing up, Judy Lu, the owner of a popular food pick — typically includes chicken, pork, or beef and is accented with ginger, garlic, and chopped onions. Related : Advertisement Taiwan is often credited as the birthplace of bubble tea, mango shaved ice, steamed buns with braised pork belly, and popcorn chicken covered in five-spice powder. There are also plenty of sweet treats. The matcha cream cake roll from Crystal Bakery in Newton, Mass. Alexa Gagosz At the festival, a representative from Xi'an Special prepared grilled spicy beef and lamb skewers covered in roasted sesame seeds, and also sold $3 bags of Snowflake crisps for sale at the Taiwanese festival in Newton, Mass. Alexa Gagosz 'The sweeter the treat, the more southern you are,' said Judy Lu, whose family is from the southern region of Taiwan. 'That's why I have a sweet tooth.' MORE FOOD NEWS AROUND NEW ENGLAND Advertisement 🍷 Around Rhode Island: Little Compton's Matt Gant , Sakonnet's assistant tasting room manager, and Drew Eichinger , sales manager, will be on hand to pour Sakonnet's Blanc de Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Belcourt White, Eye of the Storm Rosé, and Pinot Noir. Also, in Providence, 🍀 Around Massachusetts: JP Licks just released a Celtics-themed ice cream flavor for playoff season. The Globe sat down with Jonathan Vega , the man at JP Licks who has every child's dream job: creating and testing ice cream flavors. Devra First wrote a touching story about Amarilys Colón , the executive chef at La Padrona , and her mother Gladys Rivera . 🧆 Around Vermont: In Burlington, Mahati Mohamed and his business partners are opening Nomads, where they plan to share their Egyptian, Iraqi, and Moroccan heritages with a menu of shawarma and falafel wraps, doner kebabs, salads, and dips, according to 🐳 Around New Hampshire: In Portsmouth, The Dolphin Striker , which operated for 47 years, expect a cocktail bar and restaurant with an evolving, seasonal menu. The space has sat vacant since The Striker closed in 2021. Advertisement 🌮 Around Connecticut: In Wethersfield, Thanks for reading The Food Club. ✍️ This newsletter is written and produced by ✉️ Send comments, suggestions, and story tips to 📧 Did someone forward this newsletter to you? 📱 Delivered every Thursday. Alexa Gagosz can be reached at