By the MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team

To promote Tainan’s traditional cuisine and cultural tourism industries, the Tainan City Government Tourism Bureau will hold the 12-day “2014 Food & Fun Tainan” gourmet feast event at the 6th floor of Taipei Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi New World A11 from now until June 24. To showcase more diverse tourism values of Tainan’s historic city, this year not only food vendors are invited, but also online-famous gift and cultural product merchants. The goal is to allow northern Taiwan residents to enjoy delicious food while experiencing new highlights of Tainan’s tourism appeal.

The Tainan Gourmet Culture Exhibition, held for eight consecutive years, has always been popular among consumers. The annual popularity has led many local businesses to compete for exhibition spots. This year, recommended by relevant industry associations, northern Taiwan residents can enjoy traditional favorites including braised pork rice, oyster omelet, eel noodles, and milkfish balls. Additionally, online viral queue-worthy gifts such as golden kimchi, pineapple cakes, and smoked sugar-flavored snacks will offer new flavors to satisfy cravings.

Different from past events, this year’s organizers have integrated cultural creativity and tourism factory businesses to inject new vitality into visiting Tainan. Thus, on the opening press day (the 13th), the traditional performing group Oriental Art Troupe was invited to present local folk dance performances. Meanwhile, last year’s Golden Melody Award-winning Best Mandarin Male Singer, Xie Ming-yuan, performed with his distinctive Tainan accent, singing about his impression of his mother’s hometown, Anping, filling the venue with a uniquely Tainan atmosphere.

This 12-day gourmet exhibition features 37 exhibitors, and specially includes daily limited-edition popular items from Tainan. These include 100 limited pieces of Lian De Tang Bakery’s century-old pan-fried cakes and 70-year-old Yong Sheng Canvas Shop. A-Mei Restaurant offers 20 daily limited servings of clay pot duck, and Deep Blue Café provides 30 daily limited mille-feuille. On specific dates, limited-edition old-fashioned Tainan ice treats are arranged, featuring Shuang Quan Black Tea, Yi Feng A Chuan Winter Melon Tea, Shun Tian Ice Pops, Fang Yuan Ice Pops, Sun Brand Ice City, and You Jian Ice Shop’s mango shaved ice. During the exhibition, customers spending over NT$1,000 can exchange for one set of the “Tainan Gourmet Trend Paper Travel Game.” Iconic Tainan shops are transformed into Monopoly-style characters to join the fun—limited quantities, available while supplies last.

To enrich the event, the Tourism Bureau has arranged DIY Tainan culture experiences on weekends, including scarecrow pen-making from the No Rice No Money Community, sword lion painting reminiscent of Anping Old Street’s nostalgic charm, and beautiful handcrafted salt crystal mobile phone charms. This year’s site design fully presents the beauty of Tainan, not only creating a traditional street-shop ambiance to highlight Tainan’s ancient capital cuisine features but also transplanting Haian Road art street’s old houses as onsite installations. Visitors can taste Tainan and explore Tainan, experiencing a uniquely different gourmet and produce exhibition.

The 12-day 2014 Food & Fun Tainan Gourmet Feast will offer various giveaways. Customers who spend a single receipt of NT$1,000 can exchange for one “lottery ticket.” On the final day of the exhibition, they may win prizes such as tablets, folding bicycles, and lucky gift bags. This annual Tainan Gourmet Exhibition lets you eat, win gifts, and explore Tainan—an unmissable opportunity. Everyone is welcome to join the fun.

Ye Yilan recommends: time-honored Tainan delicacies endorsed by locals