Taiwanese chefs get creative to counter mainland China’s ban on island’s pineapples

Name: Pineapple bumper harvest hailed in China as Beijing bans imports of the fruit from Taiwan
Uploaded: 2021-03-10T13:46:17.000Z
Duration: 1 min 50 s
Description: Pineapple bumper harvest hailed in China as Beijing bans imports of the fruit from Taiwan

Politicians and members of the public have been gripped by pineapple mania after Beijing banned imports from the island citing pests

Restaurants have been trying to incorporate the fruit into dishes, ranging from pineapple shrimp balls to sweet and sour beef noodles

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Chef Hung Ching Lung shows off his new pineapple beef noodle dish. Photo: AP

Associated Press

Published: 9:46pm, 10 Mar 2021Updated: 12:07am, 11 Mar 2021

Taiwan’s classic beef noodle soup has taken on a sweet and sour twist.

Hung Ching Lung, a Taipei chef, has created a pineapple beef noodle soup at his eponymous restaurant Chef Hung, in what he says is a modest attempt to support Taiwanese pineapple farmers.

The fruit became a politically charged symbol after the mainland banned the import of Taiwan’s pineapples on March 1, citing pests. In response, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen kicked off a social media challenge called “Eat Taiwan’s pineapples until you burst,” calling on people to support the island’s farmers.

The campaign has kicked off a pineapple media frenzy, as Taiwanese politicians sought to demonstrate their support for farmers as well as Taiwanese agriculture. Politicians from the ruling Democratic Progressive Party and the opposition Kuomintang flocked to farms to post pictures with pineapples.

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Pineapple bumper harvest hailed in China as Beijing bans imports of the fruit from Taiwan

Taiwanese restaurateurs like Hung rushed to make pineapple-infused dishes. Pineapple shrimp balls, a betel nut pineapple salad and classics like fried rice with pineapple are just some of the dishes being pushed out by restaurants and hotels on the island.