A Disconnect… Leading to the Provenance of Food

After recently picking up the book Omnivore’s Dilemma, I found myself sinking deeper into the rabbit hole of desire to pursue the provenance of food.

In order to make educated decisions in regards to consumption, we need to understand the process. In searching for answers, I found myself more confused, realizing a disconnect between my knowledge of food and the modern day reality of industrial production. This disconnect has led me on a journey in the pursuit of knowledge by returning to the roots, visiting organic and non-organic farms, and exploring various preparation methods of food (whether traditional or nouveau). I doubt that my writing will be influential enough to convince any of you to quit your jobs in order to cultivate a self-sustainable landscape, but I do hope that through my journeys, I myself and as well as you, can learn to make more conscious choices in what you eat in regards to sustainability and nutrition. 

Humble Beginnings, A New Direction

Looking back, I finally realized that each step I’ve taken in the past 6 months have led towards the slow beginnings towards the Provenance of Food.

往回想，這六個月的經驗一步一步的帶了我往回走。慢慢的，一步一步尋找食物的來源。

In the heat of this past summer, I was approached by the Taiwanese Cultural Festival organizers to do a short presentation and cooking demonstration for their upcoming event. Having spent 4 months of the year in Taiwan thus far, one of which was to travel with a food writer throughout Taiwan, I began digging for possible topics and recipes in relation to my cultural background and experiences for my hour long presentation. Childhood memories of night markets came to mind, more recently the discovery of delicious seafood restaurants, and the abundance of cheap eats and street stalls. Although all above mentioned are experiences that tourists and locals alike both enjoy, I felt sudden a lack of passion and excitement towards food that I had reveled over for so long on every seemingly too short visit.

今年在離開教了我許多的法試料理餐廳之後，多倫多與溫哥華的台灣文化節主辦單位一次又一次的給了我許多美好的機會。第一次是邀請了我陪伴一個加拿大美食專家返回台灣寫有關於台灣美食的專欄。第二，是創造了一個讓我發表我所看到與學到的東西的平台。在被邀請去台灣文化節中發表跟台灣食品有關的題目時，我想了很久。從小在國外長大的我，一只喜歡吃夜市，路邊攤，海產店，還有各式各樣的小吃。雖然對一個在國外長大的我，或是一個觀光客來說，台灣小吃是一個美好的美食經驗，我忽然在寫演講稿之中發覺我以對這些美食失去了興趣。

At first, I couldn’t quite comprehend this lackluster feeling, then it struck me, my perspective of food had changed the moment I walked into the beautiful crisp green bamboo forest one early summer morning. Although I had not realized this immediately, the recent turn of events allowed me to recognize that the food experiences I appreciated the most in my time spent in Taiwan were not those in which I spent dining (whether at food stalls or fine dining), but those that brought me back to the Provenance of Food. These, were the experiences that I now appreciated and had a desire to share. Thus, began my journey towards the Provenance of Food. 

剛開始，我無法離解為什麼我會突然對熱愛了那麼久的食品莫名的失去了興趣。但想了很久之後才瞭解，我在年初返回台灣踏步進入有機竹林的那一刻改變了我對食物的看法。也因此覺悟到我今年在台灣最深刻的美食經驗不是來置於吃到的美食，而是在尋找食物的來源與精神當中。我也因此開始往尋找食物來源的路走。