TR E A SU R E ISL A N D FO O DS / TA ITUNG
Surf and Turf with Indigenous Influences Hot-Spring Cuisine in Taitung’s Zhiben Resort Area TE X T RICK CH A RE T TE
PHOTOS AS K A CHI
There is a hot-spring resort area at the mouth of a deep valley way down south just off the East Coast, Pacific rollers within view in one direction and rugged mountains in view in the three others, where an enticing combination of health- and spirit-uplifting vistas, mineral soaks, and fine cuisine awaits. Let’s head to Zhiben.
A
land of islands fertile with natural landscapes of deep beauty that just happens to be located on the geologically busy Pacific Rim of Fire, Taiwan has a richness of mineral springs and hot-spring resorts that – adjusting for country size – rivals that of Japan. Many of its hundredplus hot-spring locations have been developed into resort areas, with many of these in fact originally developed by the Japanese around the turn of the 20th century after they had decided to dip their toe in the international colonialpowers game and had settled in for a spell of Taiwan rule. The Japanese people’s love of hot-spring soaking and refined hotel/inn outings was transferred to the good people of Taiwan, and in the years after the Japanese packed up their things and headed back home for good in 1945, a distinctive Taiwanese hot-spring culture took shape. In recent years the Taiwan Tourism Bureau (TTB) has been working closely with hot-spring enterprises, encouraging the upgrading of facilities and services to international level and the creation of holistic experiences encompassing the dual pleasures of the best in soaking and most cultivated of culinary experiences. The culinary emphasis is on health-enhancing fare that celebrates the finest local produce, from sea and land. Last year the T TB, in cooperation with the Chinese Gourmet A ssociation, ran the f irst-ever Taiwan Top Ten Hot Springs awards competition, with a focus on fine hot-spring cuisine. A total of 14 hot-spring hotel restaurants in two categories, Banquet Dishes and Set Meals, were awarded gold medals based on these criteria: Taste and Creativity, Localness and Culture, Health, Speed and Quality, and Management. In this issue we visit two winners located in the Zhiben Hot Springs resort area, just south of the small East Coast city of Taitung. The name Century Hotel is the newest in the Zhiben hotel/inn community, while the Hoya Hot Springs Resort & Spa is among the most venerable. Note: Both hotels offer gratis shuttle service to/from the nearby Zhiben Railway Station and the Taitung Railway Station, 25 minutes away. 36
TR AVEL IN TAIWAN
Chef Yan Ming-chuan
