By MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team
The 5th Huawen Reading Festival will take place over four days from September 28/G to 10/I1/G simultaneously at Taipei Huashan and Kaohsiung Boma. This year’s festival, themed “Tasting Good Flavors,” centers around food writing and gathers over a hundred cross-disciplinary and cross-border creators from the realms of food writing and culinary arts, creating a vibrant convergence of food and academia.
The 5th Huawen Reading Festival will take place over four days from September 28/G to 10/I1/G simultaneously at Taipei Huashan and Kaohsiung Boma. This year’s festival, themed “Tasting Good Flavors,” centers around food writing and gathers over a hundred cross-disciplinary and cross-border creators from the realms of food writing and culinary arts, creating a vibrant convergence of food and academia.
(Photo/Credit: Huawen Reading Festival)
This year, the Huawen Reading Festival specially invites 【Flavor Explorers × Culinary Creators】 to engage in paired dialogues, tracing personal food and life journeys through the taste buds, sparking fascinating cross-disciplinary reading sparks. Essayist Shu Guozhi eats everything and finds joy in eating; food and lifestyle writer Ye Yilan embarks on a global taste journey inspired by her reading experiences; novelist and screenwriter Gao Yifeng discusses reading over whiskey, finding solace within; picture book author Sun Xinyu uses notes to recall the most unforgettable childhood flavors; and nature enthusiast Liu Kexiang unfolds food imagination following the rhythm of the natural ecosystem.
Driven by a thirst for knowledge, food observer Liz has made gourmet cuisine her career; cooking expert Soac is fascinated by the world of pots and pans; advocate for friendly farming Lai Qingsong is dedicated to uncovering the island’s treasures; parenting and cooking educator Lin Jiacen uses food as a medium to spark children’s creative lives; and bartender Wang Ling’an savors the multifaceted tastes of life through intoxicating aromas.
【Flavor Explorers × Culinary Creators | Shu Guozhi × Soac】 (Photo/Credit: Huawen Reading Festival)
Continuing its focus on publications as the core and incorporating cross-disciplinary connections such as theater and entertainment, this year’s Huawen Reading Festival once again innovates by drawing out an axis of food writing, bringing a full sensory experience of color, aroma, and taste to the reading events. Moreover, it explores topics related to food from different angles and perspectives—such as the history of food and literature, cooking knowledge, origins of ingredients, cooking techniques, the philosophy of culinary experimentation, health and wellness, to the myriad flavors of humanity—expressing the beautiful tastes recorded in life, books, and even dreams through creative formats.
Feng Yigang interprets Jin Yong for the fifth time. (Photo/Credit: Huawen Reading Festival)
Taipei and Kaohsiung each develop their own unique urban flavors under the shared theme of “Tasting Good Flavors.” Taipei, with Huashan at its core, gathers stars from the worlds of food writing and culinary arts for dynamic exchanges, indulging in both literature and gastronomy. Many food experts not only talk about food but also cook it themselves, creating a lively convergence of food and literature.
Kaohsiung, on the other hand, reveals the local cultural fragrance and the essence of its mountains and seas. Local writers, creators, and chefs speak for their land, while new immigrants share exotic regional cuisines. Some authors will even personally guide readers through the streets and alleys of Kaohsiung, exploring hidden gems and savoring scents, forming a blooming, aromatic mobile feast found everywhere.
Kaohsiung, on the other hand, reveals the local cultural fragrance and the essence of its mountains and seas. Local writers, creators, and chefs speak for their land, while new immigrants share exotic regional cuisines. Some authors will even personally guide readers through the streets and alleys of Kaohsiung, exploring hidden gems and savoring scents, forming a blooming, aromatic mobile feast found everywhere.
(Photo/Credit: Huawen Reading Festival)
Delicious X Huawen Reading Festival – Event Introduction
One of the highlights of this year’s Huawen Reading Festival is this: in addition to static reading and listening—“hearing and tasting” good flavors—you can also get hands-on and cook up some deliciousness.
Ticket price per session: 380 TWD (includes food tastings, demonstrations, and a 4-day Huawen Reading Festival pass worth 200 TWD)
＊【One-Stop Guide: 10 DIY Cooking Workshop Highlights】＊
01 ＊September 28, 14:30-15:30
【The Aesthetics of Vegetarianism on the Table—Flower Blooms in Jar Salad】
After sampling all kinds of cuisines
How else can you define a dish?
Start by learning how to eat flowers.
Wood sorrel flowers, summer flowers, leek flowers, butterfly pea flowers, tetrastigma flowers, cherry plum flowers, wild passion fruit flowers... Whatever is available that day. In addition to tasting and seeing rarely seen edible flowers, you’ll also get new inspiration for salad dressings (tofu + fresh fruit + avocado!?))
※ Live demonstration and tasting of edible flowers included. Each participant can take home a jar of their own homemade jar salad.
02 ＊September 28, 15:45-16:45
【Cheers, Trio: A Triple Whiskey Cocktail Performance】
When it comes to Taiwan’s cocktail scene, Trio is definitely a name you can’t ignore. Under the curation of Taiwan’s “Bartending Godfather” Wang Ling’an, what kind of drinks will Trio be mixing for us to try this time?
※ Trio team will mix cocktails live, and attendees can enjoy samples.
03 ＊September 28, 19:00-20:00
【The Methodology of Fermentation—Pink Living Probiotic Cabbage】
Sharon, the head of Rouge Food Society, will start with the principles of fermentation, demonstrating step by step how to make Pink Live Lactic Acid Cabbage. She’ll then use the finished product in a dish to accompany a meal. Let’s secretly learn from her and make fermented foods a great companion on our dining tables.
※ After the class, each participant will receive a jar of Pink Live Lactic Acid Cabbage to take home, perfect for pairing with meals and enjoying a fermented lifestyle!
04＊ 9/29 14:30-15:30
【A Symphony of Fresh Cheese and Jam】
Delicious jam that’s fresh, tasty, and often pricey—this time she won’t just generously share the jam, but also demonstrate how to make fresh cheese. Easy to prepare, pair it with her wonderful jam. Oh, and every participant will receive a small jar of jam, which is an unprecedented treat :)
※ The instructor will demonstrate on-site, participants can taste the dishes together, and take a jar of jam home.
05＊9/29 17:00-18:30
【The Adult’s Brewing Study: | Nukadoko Basics—Salted Rice Bran Barrel】
Siheyuan, skilled in fermented foods, is here to talk about “Nukadoko.” Anyone with questions about fermentation must come to this session, because Xu Yongnian can answer absolutely anything~~
This time, he’ll start with rice bran and explain how mastering the rhythm of cultivating it and choosing different ingredients allows you to appreciate the brewing poetry of salted rice bran, miso, and soy sauce.
※ Participants can make their own jar of salted rice bran to take home, and there will be salted rice bran dishes to taste on-site.
06＊9/29 19:00-20:00
【“Delicious” Comic Column Writing & Design: Let’s Start with Squirrel Coffee...】
Hally Chen, whose column layouts always go viral online whenever they’re posted, will tonight unveil the little universe behind his column writing. A writer, illustrator, designer, and planner, he doesn’t just write a column—he creates an entire page world!
Strongly recommended for designers, editors, and photographers—must try!
※ Lecture course; participants will receive the latest issue of “Delicious 29: Coffee Blend!” The Soulful Flavor of Blended Beans in Coffee Shops.
07＊9/30 14:30-15:30
【Healing Kitchen—Our Family’s Seasonal Preserved Foods: Taiwanese Tomatoes】
She once swore never to become a housewife, but after years in the workforce, she unexpectedly returned to family life—and from then on, her inner homemaker emerged uncontrollably.
If you don’t know about Grumpy Rabbit yet, you haven’t witnessed what a perfect housewife looks like. From organizing the fridge to comforting food preparation, she uses food to heal herself and others, bringing to life her vision of the ideal family.
※ The instructor will demonstrate on-site, and you can taste Queen Grumpy Rabbit’s homemade oil-marinated semi-dried roasted tomatoes. There will also be a surprise mystery gift for lucky participants.
08＊9/30 19:00-20:00
【Make the Most of Spices & Seasonings, Become a Practitioner of Wonderful Flavors】
There are dozens of spices in daily life. Have you often known of certain spices but not known how to use them? No fried shallots in your fried rice noodles, no saffron in your Spanish paella, and how can gingerbread men be without cinnamon? Spices are the soul of flavor. From fresh, dried, to cooking, let’s explore them together.
※ The instructor will demonstrate on-site, and you can taste related dishes.
09＊10/1 14:30-15:30
【Cooking for Pets: Making Exclusive Meals for Cats & Dogs】
Veterinarian Ellie says, “I’d rather feed pets good meals than prescribe medicine.”
As the ones they care about most, Ellie will tell you simple, ordinary, but important things.
How do you choose between dry kibble and fresh food?
How to calculate the daily calorie needs of your own cats and dogs?
Which nutritional supplements are essential for home use?
How to buy the best ingredients cheaply, cook them healthily, and store them fresh?
How should you tailor meals for healthy cats and dogs, as well as those with special conditions?
※ The instructor will explain related concepts and provide live demonstrations.
10＊10/1 17:00-18:30
【100% Natural – Bake Rainbow Pineapple Cakes from Scratch, Starting with the Filling】
Want to make your own pineapple cakes this Mid-Autumn Festival? We’ll teach you how to start with making the filling and create five different flavors. No more gift worries this year :)
※ Participants can join in making the pineapple cakes and take home five cakes, each with a unique flavor.
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