The transformation of Vietnamese food in Taiwan: Case study of Vietnamese-run restaurants in Hualien

• Main Authors: Nguyen Thi Tuoi, 阮氏鮮
• Other Authors: Pei-te Kang
• Format: Others
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/31756121809209258450

碩士 === 國立東華大學 === 臺灣文化學系 === 104 === The number of Vietnamese immigrants in Taiwan ranks the second after the number of immigrants from China in April, 2016. To share the financial burden with their husbands and ensure their lives in Taiwan, the Vietnamese immigrants run their own business. Running a restaurant which sells the Vietnamese foods is common for the Vietnamese female immigrants in Taiwan. Through in-depth interview with eight restaurants ‘owners who sell Vietnamese foods, this study investigates the change of Vietnamese food sold in the restaurants in Hualien. The results show that not all the restaurants which sell Vietnamese foods identify themselves as Vietnamese restaurants, which may be seen from the names and decorations of the restaurants. The restaurant owners also sell Taiwanese dishes in order to attract the local Taiwanese customers. In addition, some new dishes are neither Taiwanese nor Vietnamese ones, but a new invention. The owners of the restaurants may borrow local cuisine ideas, use local ingredients, change the cooking ways, combine the Taiwanese and Vietnamese ingredients, or create new dishes from the original ones. The outcome is that the Vietnamese dishes sold in Hualien may not be identical to the original dishes in Vietnam. The change of Vietnamese dishes reflects a localization of food brought by the immigrants.