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Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation (A Cookbook) Hardcover – September 19, 2023
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2024 IACP/JULIA CHILD FOUNDATION AWARD WINNER * NAMED A BEST COOKBOOK OF 2023 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, WIRED, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, LOS ANGELES TIMES, DELISH, EPICURIOUS, and SERIOUS EATS
Taipei-based food journalist Clarissa Wei presents Made in Taiwan, a cookbook that celebrates the island nation’s unique culinary identity—despite a refusal by the Chinese government to recognize its sovereignty. The expansive book contains deeply researched essays and more than 100 recipes inspired by the people who live in Taiwan today.
For generations, Taiwanese cuisine has been miscategorized under the broad umbrella term of Chinese food. Backed with historical evidence and interviews, Wei makes a case for why Taiwanese food should get its own spotlight. Made in Taiwan includes classics like Peddler Noodles, Braised Minced Pork Belly, and Three-Cup Chicken, and features authentic, never-before-seen recipes and techniques like how to make stinky tofu from scratch and broth tips from an award-winning beef noodle soup master.
Made in Taiwan is an earnest reflection of what the food is like in modern-day Taiwan from the perspective of the people who have lived there for generations. It is the story of a proud nation—a self-sufficient collective of people who continue to forge on despite unprecedented ambiguity.
- Print length384 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherS&S/Simon Element
- Publication dateSeptember 19, 2023
- Dimensions8 x 1.1 x 10 inches
- ISBN-101982198974
- ISBN-13978-1982198978
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Editorial Reviews
Review
NAMED A BEST COOKBOOK OF FALL 2023 BY BON APPETIT, FORBES, FOOD & WINE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, EATER, and TASTING TABLE
“As a food and travel writer and photographer, I appreciate a cookbook that makes me want to get on a plane… a stellar book that feels like it's written for Taiwan's inhabitants, and we North American readers have somehow just lucked upon an English-language version.”—Wired
“Made in Taiwan is an excellent portrait of the island’s cuisine—and a must-read for anyone interested in learning more about Taiwan.”—Bon Appetit
“This is the story of a culture, a people, a community, a destiny, and an identity, told through recipes . . . alongside some of the best writing on the subject of all things Taiwanese. With Made in Taiwan, Clarissa Wei has created a true rarity: a deep dive that serves us on so many levels. Take a long swim in the superb food, clarity of exposition, exemplary storytelling, and inspiring insight. This book is a must-have for any home cook, food lover, culture geek, or curious reader.” —Andrew Zimmern, TV host
“Made in Taiwan is a tour de force. Clarissa Wei’s storytelling and photography are dazzling, her recipes irresistible. This magnificent, heartfelt book is essential to any Asian culinary library.” —Grace Young, author of Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge and The Breath of a Wok
“With the same curiosity and rigor that has permeated her work as a food writer and journalist, Clarissa Wei’s Made in Taiwan is a timely and deeply engrossing account of Taiwanese culinary and cultural history. As gorgeous as it is thorough, it’s the most affordable trip to Taiwan you can buy!” —Stephen Satterfield, founder of Whetstone Media, host of Netflix's High on the Hog
“Clarissa has artfully woven food reporting with heartfelt storytelling, creating a truly special book on an important topic. In Made in Taiwan, she has given us the Taiwanese story to ponder, savor, and, ultimately, experience through cooking.” —Betty Liu, author of My Shanghai
“This book is a timely, joyful rewriting of the Taiwanese story, at a time when this island’s very identity hangs in the balance. Clarissa’s fascinating journalistic insights are matched by her great efforts to deconstruct recipes passed down through generations. It’s a book that I’ll keep on my kitchen shelf and look forward to referring to many, many times over the years.” —Isobel Yeung, VICE News correspondent
“To read Clarissa's work is to feel her passion, her deeply rooted identity as a Taiwanese and Asian American, and her commitment to honoring the labor and culture of the people who feed us.” —Jenny Yang, stand-up comedian and actor
About the Author
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Product details
- Publisher : S&S/Simon Element (September 19, 2023)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 384 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1982198974
- ISBN-13 : 978-1982198978
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 8 x 1.1 x 10 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #40,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2 in Taiwan Travel Guides
- #15 in Chinese Cooking, Food & Wine
- #44 in Travel Writing Reference
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Clarissa Wei is a Taiwanese American freelance journalist based in Taipei. Her debut cookbook, Made In Taiwan, is a celebration of the island nation that she calls home.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this cookbook to be an incredibly comprehensive guide to Taiwanese cuisine, with beautiful photography and clearly written instructions. Moreover, the book provides thorough background notes on Taiwanese culture and history, making it more than just a recipe collection. Additionally, customers appreciate its pacing, with one noting how it makes every meal a memorable experience, while another describes it as a warm invitation to a Taiwanese family gathering.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers praise this cookbook for its comprehensive coverage of Taiwanese cuisine and its deep dive into food culture, with stories behind the selected recipes.
"I like cookbooks which tell a story, and have a narrative behind the recipes selected. This is one of those books...." Read more
""Made in Taiwan" by Clarissa Wei is a brilliant cookbook that serves as a gateway to the rich and diverse culinary and cultural landscapes of Taiwan...." Read more
"...The photos make me miss Taiwan. The recipes are excellent. I'm so grateful for this book." Read more
"This book has marvelous recipes, but the stories are also wonderful, providing nothing less than a ful ethnography of Taiwanese food...." Read more
Customers appreciate the beautiful photography in the cookbook, describing it as gorgeous, with one customer highlighting the thoughtful food styling and another noting the nice illustrations of cooking techniques.
"...The photos that are there are nice. It's a well done book, and I recommend the hardcover." Read more
"...Each dish comes alive with beautiful photography and engaging stories, allowing readers to explore not just the flavors but also the traditions and..." Read more
"...It gives a very concise history of Taiwan. The photos make me miss Taiwan. The recipes are excellent. I'm so grateful for this book." Read more
"...these foods from the days of humble wooden houses, clear skies, simple living styles, and too much poverty--many of these recipes were originally..." Read more
Customers find the cookbook enjoyable to read, describing it as a wonderful and excellent cookbook.
"...The photos that are there are nice. It's a well done book, and I recommend the hardcover." Read more
"This book is amazing. It gives a very concise history of Taiwan. The photos make me miss Taiwan. The recipes are excellent...." Read more
"...This young author's heartfelt introduction is worth reading as well. You will find a good collection of recipes for many beloved dishes...." Read more
"This is such a great cookbook, has so many of my childhood recipes my mom used to make me...." Read more
Customers appreciate the cultural context of the cookbook, which includes background notes on Taiwanese culture and history.
"...Don't overlook the introduction pages. This is a very Taiwanese Nationalist book, and the author is not shy about summarizing the troubled history..." Read more
"...than teach you how to cook; it helps you understand and connect with Taiwanese culture, making each culinary creation a more meaningful and enriched..." Read more
"This book is amazing. It gives a very concise history of Taiwan. The photos make me miss Taiwan. The recipes are excellent...." Read more
"...are also wonderful, providing nothing less than a ful ethnography of Taiwanese food...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the cookbook, noting that the instructions are clearly written and the text is well proofread, with one customer highlighting its evocative language.
"...This is good because you can always shortcut, but the entire process is documented. It's 383 pages at a very reasonable price...." Read more
"...The clear and concise instructions cater to cooks of all levels, inviting everyone to embrace and celebrate Taiwanese cuisine and culture in their..." Read more
"...Hokkien is a beautiful, expressive, evocative language, no more a "dialect" of "Chinese" than English is a dialect of Dutch...." Read more
"Finally, we now have a beautifully written and well researched English cookbook about Taiwanese cuisine...." Read more
Customers appreciate the cookbook's meticulous research and presentation of history, with one customer noting how the background information enhances its value.
"...that this book does more than teach you how to cook; it helps you understand and connect with Taiwanese culture, making each culinary creation a..." Read more
"...This book is full of wonderful stories, photographs and history. This young author's heartfelt introduction is worth reading as well...." Read more
"...It presents the history and development of Taiwanese cuisine in an approachable, comprehensive way...." Read more
"...In fact, the introduction to this wonderful resource (pp11-22) is as complete and objective one can find in understand the essential history of the..." Read more
Customers appreciate the cookbook's content, noting it goes beyond recipes, with one customer highlighting how the suggestions enhance the cooking experience.
"...I appreciate that this book does more than teach you how to cook; it helps you understand and connect with Taiwanese culture, making each culinary..." Read more
"...before picking this one up, and I have to say, this is much more than a recipe book...." Read more
"Not just a cookbook, but a culinary and cultural history of Taiwan. Fascinating read! Highly recommend." Read more
"...History, cultural context and even suggestion adds to the experience of cooking." Read more
Customers appreciate the pacing of the cookbook, with reviews highlighting how it makes every meal a memorable experience and creates a warm invitation to a Taiwanese family gathering.
"...and concise instructions cater to cooks of all levels, inviting everyone to embrace and celebrate Taiwanese cuisine and culture in their..." Read more
"...and Stories from the Island Nation" is like a warm invitation to a Taiwanese family gathering, where stories flow as freely as the flavors...." Read more
"...research, and candid take from the author Clarissa make it a very inviting and engaging read...." Read more
"...You can feel the love and passion for the island. I am so impressed and glad that I purchased this book. Highly recommended!!!!!" Read more
Reviews with images

Much more than a book about food--it's about an amazing country and people
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2024I like cookbooks which tell a story, and have a narrative behind the recipes selected. This is one of those books.
Don't overlook the introduction pages. This is a very Taiwanese Nationalist book, and the author is not shy about summarizing the troubled history of the island nation, and how it related to the food history. It's not a long read, but well worth it.
If you have been to Taiwan, you'll recognize a lot of the recipes. The top 10 list is here. I like books which start from the raw ingredients and build up. Make the wrappers, don't buy them. Make the sauces, don't buy them. This is good because you can always shortcut, but the entire process is documented.
It's 383 pages at a very reasonable price. Lots of good recipes ranging from easy to fairly difficult.
My native Taiwanese friend approves of the book and recipes.
One thing I would like to see are some additional photos of some of the intermediate steps. They are provided for some recipes, but only a small percent. The photos that are there are nice. It's a well done book, and I recommend the hardcover.
- Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommend! Experience Culinary and Cultural Richness with "Made in Taiwan"
"Made in Taiwan" by Clarissa Wei is a brilliant cookbook that serves as a gateway to the rich and diverse culinary and cultural landscapes of Taiwan. It offers a harmonious blend of vibrant recipes, cultural insights, and a succinct yet enlightening history of Taiwan. Each dish comes alive with beautiful photography and engaging stories, allowing readers to explore not just the flavors but also the traditions and history of Taiwanese cuisine.
I appreciate that this book does more than teach you how to cook; it helps you understand and connect with Taiwanese culture, making each culinary creation a more meaningful and enriched experience. The clear and concise instructions cater to cooks of all levels, inviting everyone to embrace and celebrate Taiwanese cuisine and culture in their kitchens.
Whether you’re exploring your culinary boundaries or deepening your understanding of Taiwanese culture, "Made in Taiwan" is a highly recommended, invaluable companion on your journey.
- Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2025This book is amazing. It gives a very concise history of Taiwan. The photos make me miss Taiwan. The recipes are excellent. I'm so grateful for this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2023This book has marvelous recipes, but the stories are also wonderful, providing nothing less than a ful ethnography of Taiwanese food. Most of the recipes are from the Taiwanese Hokkien, the majority of the islanders, but there are also chapters on the food of the Austronesian Aboriginal people and of the Hakka minority. Recipe names are given in the relevant languages as well as in Mandarin. (Recent dishes from the mainland are only in Mandarin.) The recipes cover a full range of Taiwanese foods, including traditional pickling recipes and other unusual matters.
The characters and transcriptions in both Mandarin and non-Mandarin languages allow some wonderful fun. Most are in the Hokkien language. Settlers from southern Fujian province came to Taiwan from the 17th century on; Fujian is pronounced "Hokkien" or "Hokkian" in the local language. Hokkien is a beautiful, expressive, evocative language, no more a "dialect" of "Chinese" than English is a dialect of Dutch. The characters and transcriptions here allow you to have some fun exploring the differences from Mandarin. Hokkien loves nasal vowels, as French does. Vowels after a nasal consonant or before a double nn (in this transcription) are nasalized. Some words dispense with vowels altogether, and have only nasals, like "nng" for "egg."
To me, this book brings back memories of Taiwan in the 1960s and 1970s. I have not really been back since. I remember many of these foods from the days of humble wooden houses, clear skies, simple living styles, and too much poverty--many of these recipes were originally adaptations to having very limited fod, and usually having to grow and process it yourself. It was a beautiful but challenging world. The food was superb.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2024Finally, we now have a beautifully written and well researched English cookbook about Taiwanese cuisine. This book is full of wonderful stories, photographs and history. This young author's heartfelt introduction is worth reading as well. You will find a good collection of recipes for many beloved dishes. Some of them may not be easy, but they are meant to be authentic. I highly recommend this book if you are interested in learning more about Taiwanese food. However it may not be the book for those who just want a quick guide with simple recipes.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2024When removing 'Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation' from the box, I was a bit taken aback by the sheer weight of it. It's a really heft y cookbook filled with super nice illustrations of some particular techniques, well photographed recipes, and a lot of supplementary information about Taiwan's history and culture. I also really appreciated that the cookbook had both Mandarin and Taiwanese names for all the recipes, and their romanization. 'Made in Taiwan' is overall a beautiful and well written cookbook, and very worth the price.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2025The media could not be loaded.
5.0 out of 5 starsThis is such a great cookbook, has so many of my childhood recipes my mom used to make me. Love that I can recreate all this yummy food!! It’s great and the directions are easy to follow.Childhood food memories!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2025
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
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Y. VincentReviewed in France on August 6, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars La cuisine taïwanaise
Remarquable ouvrage pour toute personne désireuse de découvrir la cuisine taïwanais, bien distincte de la cuisine du continent. En plus des recettes, ce livre présente aussi l'histoire de Taïwan (afin d'expliquer comment cette cuisine s'est constituée), les spécificités des ingrédients, etc. L'ouvrage peut même se lire comme un récit de voyage culinaire, et pas du tout comme un livre de cuisine. Une grande réussite!
- Felix PoppReviewed in Germany on February 18, 2025
5.0 out of 5 stars Authentic taiwanese cooking
This book opens the door to the taiwanese Kirchen. Also the historical facts Arena interesting
- Sean PetersReviewed in the United Kingdom on March 21, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars If you're trying to learn Taiwanese cooking, this is the best book out there
Clear, easy to follow recipies, and help on some of the harder to find ingredients.
I've tried 6 Beef Noodle Soup recipies, and the one in this book is the best.
The only change I make is to use short ribs instead of flank as the beef - the shortrib bones give the soup an extra weight I just love.
- Megan M.Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing cookbook
This is exactly what I’ve been searching for for a few years in English - a big overview of Taiwanese recipes with explanations and tips and backstories to enjoy! Well written, beautiful images and great detailed how to images where needed. A great variety of dishes ranging from breakfast to street food to family style, specialities and sauces. Excited to learn many of these recipes and also now I know what places to seek out for special dishes when I visit Taiwan one day!
Megan M.Amazing cookbook
Reviewed in Canada on March 27, 2024
Images in this review
- RReviewed in Australia on December 14, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
This book is very informative. I love all recipes and the history part.