Taiwan's original inhabitants, its current aboriginal population, are Poly-Malay people who came to the island over many migrations from the Asian mainland in pre-historic and early historic times. Their languages and cultures are related to those of the original cultures of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, but isolation and contact with Chinese cultures has changed them tremendously over the millennia.
Settlement in Taiwan
In the 16th century, Portugal established a base on the island and named it Formosa (meaning "beautiful") but in 1624, the Dutch Navy overtook Portuguese troops. Although Chinese visitors to Taiwan and its outer islands began in a small way about 2,000 years ago, general settlement began after Chinese troops defeated the Dutch in 1624.
Large migrations of Chinese people (mostly men) came to the island primarily from Southern Fujian province, but also from Northeastern Guangdong provinces, including Hakka and Chaozhou peoples. Their influence shaped what is now known as Taiwanese cuisine. The native population was forced to mix with the Chinese or move up to the mountains, where the local wild bounty formed the base of their cooking.
Taiwan's Japanese influence
Taiwan became a province of China in the Qing dynasty, but was ceded to Japan in 1895 after Chinese troops were defeated in the Sino-Japanese wars. It remained a Japanese colony until the end of World War II and this Japanese occupation with its economic development greatly influenced the culture and cuisine of the Chinese island.
After the defeat of the Chinese Nationalist armies by the Communists in 1949, the Nationalists, led by Chiang Kaishek, retreated to the island and began decades of martial law. With them, came hundreds of thousands of people from main land China who fled to escape communist rule. This established a large and thriving population of Chinese people living in Taiwan.
Taiwan today
Their various foods, from Beijing, Sichuan, Shandong, Shanghai, Inner Mongolia or Canton (Guangdong), have become so engrained in Taiwanese culinary culture that they have, too, become "native".
In recent years, Taiwan has become an enthusiastic democratic country. It's part of China in name but in practice, it's a proud international nation. The food of Southeast Asia, Europe and North America is now as commonplace in urban centres as are Chinese restaurants in Canadian cities.
Click here to see 15 delectable Taiwanese dishes...
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