【Nantou NEXT⁺ Lab Series Event 3: Ecological Dining and Food Design】
Ecological Dining Design × Slow Living Learning—Highlights from a successful event
You wouldn't expect it! This time, we brought the classroom to the dining table!!!
By weaving cultural stories into hands-on cooking, where ingredients meet creativity, food becomes more than sustenance—it becomes a voice for the land and its culture. Participants learned how to integrate sustainable practices with traditional food heritage into everyday meals!
Case 1｜Original Dream Leisure Farm
Owner Wang, Hsiao-liang shared: "Contentment is the foundation of life." Building on the craftsmanship and legacy passed down by elders, he combines the culinary wisdom of the Seediq people with local ingredients to create a tribal dining table rich in cultural warmth. Each dish becomes a gateway to understanding tribal culture!
Case 2｜Very Taiwan Living Culture Studio
Founder Yang, Li-chin, centering on the idea that "food is culture," guided participants in rediscovering food through the lens of solar terms, customs, and everyday tables. She reminded everyone: "What we eat is not just flavor—it's the cultural memory and environmental values behind it." We must feel, not just taste, the connection between ingredients and the land.
Hands-on Experience Workshop｜Cooking in action
The highlight! During the hands-on session, participants used water bamboo shoots and mushrooms to craft a "Mushroom and Water Bamboo Quiche," paired with a passion fruit and pineapple specialty drink, transforming the seasonal flavors of Taiwan into creative bites full of local character.
What left the deepest impression on me was the prickly ash chocolate. Who would have imagined that prickly ash and chocolate could be such an unforgettable pairing? The unique aroma of prickly ash perfectly balances the sweetness of the chocolate—a flawless combination!
"It turns out local farm products hold so many possibilities!"
From "ingredients" to "the dining table" and back to "the land," this journey is about more than ingredients or cooking techniques—it's about understanding, respecting, and treasuring our hometowns.
Starting with a single dish, we practice a philosophy of living in harmony with nature and fostering mutual prosperity with our communities.
Next stop
Nantou NEXT⁺ Lab Series Event 4: Local Industry Diagnosis
Join us as we explore innovative thinking in industry management. Through hands-on branding and design thinking, we'll cultivate the capacity for youth entrepreneurship and local engagement!
