Taitung Team Introduction

The biennial Slow Food Global Gathering—Terra Madre Salone del Gusto—is one of the world’s most prominent culinary and cultural events. Named after the Italian term "Terra Madre" (Mother Earth), it began in 1996 and has been the largest global event organized by the Slow Food movement since 2006. Thousands of Slow Food communities worldwide, united by the principles of "good, clean, and fair" food, gather in Turin, northern Italy, for five days of conferences, marketplaces, food workshops, and cultural exchanges. They share food, culture, and experiences while addressing global food challenges and exploring solutions. Let’s look forward to how Taitung Slow Food will connect with Slow Food communities worldwide, sharing their journey and delicious offerings!

Ibu, From the Kamcing indigenous community Township, works with her parents to revive the tribe's millet culture. They have reintroduced traditional Bunun millet, once lost, back into cultivation and learned how to cook it, allowing the tribe members to once again enjoy the taste of millet rice. This time, Ibu brings traditional Bunun millet cuisine to Italy, sharing the tribe's efforts in seed preservation and cultural revival on an international stage.

Emphasizing “friendly oceans, whole food utilization, and coastal foraging culture,” Meet Marlin supports the Chenggong fishers using sustainable fishing methods. They are dedicated to preserving Taitung’s last hand-harpoon fishing culture and promoting sustainable ocean issues. This time, they will bring Chenggong’s hand-harpoon culture to Italy, another swordfish-producing region, fostering cross-ocean exchange in sustainable fishing. They also turn hand-harpooned black marlin into fish floss to share with international friends at the event.

Taitung’s Slow Food restaurant, Chubby Bunny, is run by Sho and her German husband, Johanannes. They incorporate produce from small farmers and local Taitung ingredients into their dishes, creating European cuisine with a distinctive Taitung twist and sharing the local flavors with their guests. For 2024 Terra Madre, they are bringing rice wine lees and Taitung spices to the Slow Food event, where they will make Taitung-inspired German Spätzle. By infusing Taitung flavors into a familiar European pasta, they aim to deliver an unprecedented culinary experience.

Huang Han, an enthusiastic Amis youth from the Kaadaadaan Tribe in Guanshan, left his hometown to study refined agriculture during college. After graduating, he returned with his wife Xun-ping to promote organic farming. Together, they founded the HeZuo Friendly Crops to share the flavors of their homeland and created Taiwan’s first “zero-carbon coffee.” This time, he is bringing his organic rice to Italy, recreating traditional Amis rice balls and sharing his experiences in preserving indigenous culture as a returning youth.

Promoting ecological farming methods and cultivating Taitung’s coffee culture is the dream of Hung-Dian. At Alanger’s farm, multi-layered cultivation is practiced, creating a self-sustaining ecological cycle within the farm. This time, they are bringing Taitung’s specialty coffee to Terra Madre to share with friends from around the world. The will introduce the inseparable relationship between Taitung’s terroir and the unique flavors of its coffee.

Truly Wine from Dulan Tribe is the first traditional brewery in Taitung to obtain a brewing license. Run by returning Amis tribe members and their families, they work together to mend cultural gaps and revive the traditional Amis brewing techniques. Following traditional methods, they start by gathering herbs to make traditional koji, crafting flavors recognized and cherished by the elders of the tribe. They will present the art of making traditional koji and their brewing culture to the Slow Food event in Italy, allowing the world to taste the traditional Amis rice wine of Taitung.

A group of multi-talented young people relocated from various places to Luye, Taitung, and founded “Gong Nong Gong Shi”. Guided by the philosophy of “enjoying the scent of the soil, feeling the earth beneath our feet, and cherishing every simple bite,” they bring their Slow Food ideas to life. This time, they are bringing Taitung’s Red Oolong and native tea (Shan Yun) to Turin and will arrive early to ferment kombucha locally in order to share Taitung’s tea culture and fermentation techniques.