Five themed zones and 16 pavilions: The largest food exhibition in years kicks off on July 17

▲ The “2015 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition” will take place from July 17 to 20 at Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Reported by Huang Shih-yuan / Taipei

The “2015 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition” will take place from July 17 to 20 at Taipei World Trade Center Hall 1. As it resumes after a two-year hiatus and is being organized by the Tourism Bureau, this edition is not only the largest in scale to date but also places special emphasis on the presentation of tableware, ingredients, and culinary skills. The event features five major exhibition areas—“Art of Food,” “Utensils of Food,” “Ingredients of Food,” “Journeys of Food,” and “Souvenirs”—with 16 large-scale thematic pavilions and over 200 exhibitors. Additionally, numerous hotels are actively participating, including five-star establishments such as Regent Taipei, Grand Hyatt Taipei, Sheraton Taipei, and The Landis Taipei, with The Lalu making its debut appearance.

This year’s food exhibition, themed “Taiwan’s Golden Age of Gastronomy,” features over 600 booths and aims to promote the “internationalization of Taiwanese cuisine.” Through the talented chefs, quality ingredients, and exquisite tableware showcased at the event, the exhibition seeks to market the brand of Taiwanese cuisine and share the spirit of Taiwan’s culinary culture with the world. Visitors can explore small farms and local produce, shop for designer tableware, and enjoy dishes prepared by renowned chefs across various pavilions. Thirty-three hotel and F&B operators, including Regent Taipei, Grand Hyatt Taipei, Sheraton Taipei, and The Landis Taipei, are participating this year, with The Lalu debuting. These exhibitors are also offering attractive meal vouchers, with discounts starting as low as 45% off and five-star buffet afternoon teas beginning at just NT$525.

Taiwanese Oh Bear serving show


The “Ingredients of Food” zone includes the Taiwan Agriculture Pavilion, Qianxiang Taiwan, Colorful Guizhou, Japan’s Kagawa, Taiwan Sugar, the Nantou County Food Association, and the Yunlin Pavilion, presenting a grand showcase of ingredients that takes visitors on an insightful journey through the world of spices. The “Taiwan Agriculture Pavilion” uses crops from the 24 solar terms to encourage people to eat seasonal and locally sourced food. “Qianxiang Taiwan” offers a sensory experience of taste and smell, inviting attendees to explore and discover the true flavors of Taiwan in this land rich with hundreds of spices. “Colorful Guizhou” displays distinctive Guizhou ingredients, local cuisine, ethnic minority costumes, and performances, allowing visitors to tour the beautiful landscapes of Guizhou through their taste buds. The Ingredients of Food zone features a total of 100 booths.

The “Utensils of Food” zone includes Small Eats, Big Vessels, The Era of Cherished Objects, the Ministry of Culture’s National Craft Research Institute, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Small and Medium Enterprise Administration, the Creative Tide Wisdom Media Company and National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism’s jointly developed Creative Tide Food Era Pavilion, Eslite Spectrum, Colette, Lin’s Handcrafts, the Tourism Bureau’s North Coast Guanyin Mountain Management Office, East Coast Management Office, and Sun Moon Lake Management Office. It showcases creative design tableware and the increasingly rare art of mending broken ceramics, with a total of 67 booths.

The “Art of Food” zone features culinary competitions, Culinary Spring and Autumn, Yushi Taiwan, Indigenous Cuisine Pavilion, Hakka Flavors Pavilion, and gourmet window displays by 73 hotels, restaurants, and other establishments. It is the most popular food experience area, where over a hundred chefs and instructors demonstrate dishes, conduct live teaching, and engage in friendly competition. Numerous restaurants and hotels also offer discounted meal vouchers, accommodation packages, afternoon tea, and pastries. The Art of Food zone includes 287 booths.


▲ Tourism Bureau Director-General Xie Weijun with Oh Bear. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

The “Journeys of Food” zone includes the Tourism Bureau’s “Fortune in Food” Pavilion, where the bureau’s Super Task Force leader, Oh Bear, recommends 11 food-centric travel routes across Taiwan. These routes combine delicious cuisine, scenic beauty, and low-carbon, eco-friendly travel concepts, utilizing Taiwan High Speed Rail’s Taiwan Tourist Shuttle and Klook’s services. The food exhibition will distribute a guidebook featuring over 400 great deals across Taiwan, along with limited-time offers and exclusive Oh Bear-designed gifts.

The “Souvenirs” zone brings together top-quality shops from around Taiwan, as well as government-supported souvenir businesses, including the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Department of Commerce/Taiwan Shopping Streets, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Industrial Development Bureau/Happiness Dessert Pavilion, along with agricultural associations from Changhua County, Hsinchu County, and Hualien County, Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, China Airlines, Mandarin Catering, Mayuhisa, Monster Village, Kinmen Royal Distillery, Gangji, Nina Chocolate, VVG Cake Shop, and Farglory Resort.