Any foodies or business owners looking for the best Japanese products available in the Taiwan market won’t want to miss the 2023 Food Taipei Expo, taking place at Nangang Exhibition centre from June 14-17.

Japan has been a consistent participant at the Food Taipei expo for 18 years, consistently sharing the best flavors of Japan with consumers and business in Taiwan. The two countries have a very close trade relationship, with nearly 20 percent of Japan’s food exports going to Taiwan, according to data from the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).

This year, 57 food manufacturers from 22 prefectures joined the expo, almost double the number of companies that joined in 2022. This year also features a special expo area especially for companies representing the island of Kyushu.

Visitors to the expo can sample everything from wagyu beef and high-quality matcha-based products to fresh fruit and seafood, alongside a huge variety of alcoholic beverages and snacks.

Don’t miss out on the huge scallops and king crab, all fresh from the ocean waters of Hokkaido. Visitors can sample exquisite matcha from Kagoshima, mixed with fresh milk from Taiwan for a delicious matcha latte.

The director of JETRO’s Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Food Office, Yutaka Hiroki said that all food imports from Japan are rigorously tested to ensure food safety, so Taiwanese consumers can enjoy products from Japan with peace of mind. Yutaka expressed his hope that trade between Japan and Taiwan would continue to improve in the years ahead, especially in areas of food and agriculture.

Kyushu Pavilion

This was the first year that companies from prefectures in Kyushu jointly organised an expo area representing the region.

Among the most eye-catching displays were high-quality beef from Saga City and fresh mentaiko, or pollock roe, from the waters of Fukuoka. Currently, there is only one company in Saga that is authorised to export the exquisitely marbled beef to Taiwan, so the beef is sure to remain a hot commodity at restaurants in Taiwan for the foreseeable future.

The Yame Tea Company, established over 600 years ago, is also at the Kyushu pavilion offering samples of its famed matcha and green tea products. Visitors looking for a refreshing taste of Kyushu can also sample teas made from Saga Prefecture’s famous Nijo barley, prized for its crisp, mellow flavor and health benefits.

Other must-try products include Fukuoka natto, or fermented soybeans, and bubble tea pearls made from seaweed. Natto from Fukuoka has a lighter flavor than most natto products, making it more palatable to Taiwanese.

Seaweed pearls are a tasty, zero-calorie substitute for tapioca pearls used in Taiwan’s famous bubble milk tea, and may just spark a new healthy trend in Taiwan’s tea shops.

Between the Japan Pavilion and the Kyushu Pavilion, visitors to the Food Taipei 2023 expo will find plenty to excite their taste buds. Many booths at the expo are expected to offer discounts on products for the final day of the expo (June 17), so don’t miss your chance to enjoy excellent products from Japan as well as the rest of the world.

https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4920805

Category: Taiwan