Unlike authentic Confucius Mansion Cuisine, Taipei Confucian Cuisine officially debuts on the table

By Li Hsin-yi, compiled and reported

The Taipei City Government officially launched "Taipei Confucian Cuisine" in June this year. After nearly two months of promotion among local businesses, there are now 32 restaurants participating in the campaign. In addition to well-known restaurants such as the Grand Hotel Taipei, Din Tai Fung, Pin Jyun Hsuan, and Yong Fu Lou, night market snack shops around the Confucius Temple have also joined the promotion. The aim is to further boost local tourism at Taipei’s Confucius Temple through culinary experiences.

How is Taipei Confucian Cuisine different from authentic Confucius Mansion Cuisine? It turns out that Lu cuisine is one of China’s four major traditional cuisines, and Confucius Mansion Cuisine is the most refined among them. It includes casual banquets, family banquets, and birthday banquets. The famous Manchu-Han Imperial Feast is actually a grand version of Confucius Mansion Cuisine. The newly launched Taipei Confucian Cuisine is based on the stories of the ancient sages, scholars, and Confucian masters enshrined in Taipei’s Confucius Temple. The Taipei City Government hopes to establish it as a signature dish of the Dalongdong area. The 13 dishes include Wen Tianxiang Chicken, Kaoting’s Double Delights, Hanlin Twice-Cooked Pork, Monarchs and Ministers Sharing Porridge, Yangming Vinegar Fish, Zhuge Combo, Hidden Treasure Tofu, Cheating the Gentleman Fish, Yang Huo’s Gifted Pork, Guan Market Chicken, Bell-Consecration Ox, Sage and Scholar Ritual Fish, and Sacrificial Lamb.

The authentic Confucius Temple is located in Qufu, Shandong, and was ordered to be built by Duke Ai of Lu. The temple has been a site where emperors throughout the dynasties paid homage to Confucius, with its architecture modeled after the imperial palace, reflecting the lofty status of Confucius. Emperors from various dynasties presented numerous imperial stelae to the temple. From the Tang to the Qing dynasties, these inscriptions include Chinese, Manchu, and Mongolian scripts. It is said that during the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards had already breached the temple, but thanks to the intervention of influential figures, only a few stelae were destroyed. These stelae are now enclosed and preserved in the temple courtyard. The Qufu Confucius Temple has also been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, Confucius’ descendants came to Taiwan with the Nationalist government, and since Taiwan has preserved a continuous lineage of Confucian culture, the introduction of a modern twist on the ancient Confucius Mansion Cuisine—now served as "Taipei Confucian Cuisine"—is especially meaningful.