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Origins: The History of Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

Beef noodle soup. Photo courtesy of Jocelyn & Cathy/Flickr

Warm spices, pickled mustard greens, slurpable wheat noodles, rich beef broth: Such are the lip-smacking hallmarks of Taiwanese beef noodle soup (牛肉麵), an oft-heralded national dish (and ultimate comfort food) of Taiwan. The dish wasn’t always so beloved, however. In fact, before 1895, Taiwanese of Han Chinese descent (who now account for more than 97 percent of the population) ate beef no more often than 21st-century Americans eat cats or dogs (cringe, I know).

Beef was taboo in Taiwan. So at what point in history did beef noodle soup become so quintessential to Taiwanese cuisine?

Like many things on the island, the dish’s existence is owed to decades of colonialism, global politics, and military engagements—outside influences that have left an indelible imprint on Taiwan’s local cuisine.

It’s certainly not uncommon for cuisines to be shaped by other cultures. But in Taiwan, a small island passed around by global powers that still lacks official “country” status, these influences seem outsize, and the cuisine all the more remarkable for its ability to absorb and evolve while remaining distinctly Taiwanese.

The history of beef noodle soup, starting with three powerful nations and ending in every corner shop of Taipei, provides the perfect example.

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