The American reality food travel show “From Scratch” traveled to Taiwan from October 2nd to October 10th in 2023 to shoot an episode featuring a Taiwan special. Michelin-starred chef Paul Lee specially curated a menu showcasing Taiwan’s unique cuisine for the host David Moscow. The show aimed to explore and present the beauty of Taiwan’s diverse food culture by challenging Moscow to seek out local ingredients from urban areas to tribes and rural villages.
Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau representative in Los Angeles, Lin Yizheng, highlighted that this collaboration focuses on Taiwan’s food culture and sustainable local tourism experiences, hoping to spark a new conversation around food tourism and attract visitors from around the world to come and taste Taiwan’s delicacies. The airing of the episode coincides with the 2024 “World Indigenous Tourism Summit” in Taiwan, expected to create a trend of tribal dining table tourism experiences.
Starting from April 17th, the “Taiwan Special” began airing on Tastemade’s global channels such as Amazon Prime Video, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, and YouTube, allowing audiences in over 10 countries and regions including the United States, Australia, France, Spain, and Finland to tune in.
The filming team’s visit to Taiwan was sponsored by Starlux Airlines with business class tickets from Los Angeles to Taipei. With arrangements by Taiwan’s Ministry of Transportation Tourism Bureau, the team collaborated with Chef Paul Lee at Taipei’s Impromptu restaurant while the host David embarked on a quest to seek local ingredients like crab, shrimp, grapes, cucumbers, and craft beer.
During the 9-day itinerary, David delved into Taiwan’s urban and rural areas, traversing towns in the eastern and western regions to collect ingredients. The tribal flavors of the Hualien and Taitung regions amazed David the most and brought local Taiwanese cuisine to an international platform. While exploring western farms, David also experienced Taiwan’s lifestyle and the charm of leisure agriculture. Throughout his ingredient search, David praised the fresh and locally cooked dishes he encountered.
Announcing his itinerary on his Instagram fan page for the first visit to Taiwan, David wasted no time and headed straight to a night market upon landing to take on the challenge of “spicy duck blood stinky tofu.” Despite his travel companions’ reluctance towards the dish, David excitedly savored it with a smile on his face.
The filming journey of the special was filled with challenges, including the disruption caused by Typhoon “Little Dog.” However, the team persevered with an indomitable spirit, venturing deep into the indigenous tribes of Hualien and Taitung. Along the way, locals warmly provided assistance. With the enthusiastic and hospitable help of the Taiwanese people, David successfully completed Lee’s ingredient quest, leaving him with lasting impressions of the experience.
Editor: Fang Ping