Maketto’s fried bird is coated in five-spice, honey, fish sauce, and chili oil

Eater
Date: Dec 8, 2020
By: Patty Diez

“Practically every culture that eats chicken has come up with a way to crisp birds in hot oil,” wrote Osayi Endolyn in her essay “Fried Chicken Is Common Ground,” from You and I Eat the Same. There’s the Southern American version created by African and African-American cooks and now ubiquitous all over the country, behind glass counters in gas stations and sold by the bucket in supermarket chains; there’s Japanese karaage, coated with soy, ginger, and garlic; Brazilian fried chicken or frango a passarinho; and Taiwanese fried chicken which, like Korea’s version, is fried twice.

Taiwanese fried chicken can be found across the country’s chains and night markets, and also at DC’s beloved Cambodian-Taiwanese restaurant, Maketto. Chef Erik Bruner-Yang keeps it traditional with his recipe, coating chicken tenders in sweet potato starch and calling on the five-spice powder that the fried bird can’t go on without. There’s also basil leaves to top the bits of chicken that are crunchy and almost popcorn-like.

The fried chicken easily one of Maketto’s most popular items — and you can make at home with the help of Bruner-Yang’s recipe below.    [FULL  STORY]

Officials investigating mysterious deaths of Taiwan water buffaloes on hiking trail

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/12/08
By: Ching-Tse Cheng, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei City Councilor Keng Wei (耿葳) on Monday (Dec. 7) revealed the unusual deaths of six buffalos at Yangmingshan National Park last week and said the cause remains unknown.

In a statement, Keng pointed out that a Taiwanese citizen, surnamed Wang (王), had contacted her in regard to his encounter with the six dead buffalos on the Qingtiangang hiking trail between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6. She said the man had provided photos and videos of his surprising discovery.

Keng explained that the deaths are very unusual since there has only been one water buffalo death reported at Yangmingshan per year. She suspected that starvation and infectious disease were responsible for their demise.

The Yangmingshan National Park Administration confirmed the news during a press interview on Monday and said the bodies of the animals had been sent to the National Taiwan University School of Veterinary Medicine for testing. It said the fallen buffaloes consisted of five adults and one calf.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 12/08/2020
By: Hung Hsueh-kuang, Evelyn Kao and Chung Yu-chen

Kaohsiung, Dec. 8 (CNA) A man and his mother suspected of killing a newborn baby in Kaohsiung and subsequently brought in for questioning were released on a bail late Monday.

The man, surnamed Lu (呂), is alleged to have put his 19-year-old daughter's newborn baby into a plastic bag and discarded it in the Qianzhen River in Kaohsiung Sunday because "he did not see the newborn open its eyes soon or cry after birth and thought it was stillborn," according to the Kaohsiung District Prosecutors Office.

Lu's mother, meanwhile, was determined by the office after a preliminary investigation to be complicit in the case for her role in coming up with the idea of throwing the newborn into the river. The baby has yet to be found.

Lu and his mother were released on bail of NT$50,000 (US$1,770) and NT$30,000, respectively.
[FULL  STORY]

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 07 December, 2020
By: Leslie Liao

.Taiwan’s defense ministry says a program to upgrade Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets is running behind schedule. That came during a defense report at the legislature. Under the program, Taiwan will upgrade 142 F-16 fighter jets to F-16Vs. 

The defense ministry says that even though the program is currently operating behind schedule, the upgrades will still be completed by the target year 2023.     [FULL  STORY]

President Tsai Ing-wen has prioritized Taiwan-Australia ties as part of her New Southbound Policy, and there’s momentum on both sides toward a potential trade agreement.

The Diplomat
Date: December 07, 2020
By: Nick Aspinwall   

In 2003, members of U.S. Congress dined on “freedom fries” after France declined to support an invasion of Iraq. In 2020, in response to Beijing’s move to raise taxes on Australian products, Taiwan’s Foreign Ministry is showing its support by drinking “freedom wine.”

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group of over 200 parliamentarians from 19 countries, launched a campaign on Tuesday to purchase Australian wines in support of the country as tensions between Canberra and Beijing continue to flare. Taiwanese diplomats eagerly joined in – because what’s better than a drink for a good cause?

“We stand in solidarity with #Australia by serving #FreedomWine at @MOFA_Taiwan,” the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) tweeted on December 1 along with a photo of a person holding two bottles of Australian wine and the hashtag #StrongerTogether.

Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s representative to the United States, retweeted IPAC’s campaign announcement and said “Thinking of stocking up on Australian wine.”   [FULL STORY]

President Tsai to take pitch for strengthened US-Taiwan ties to two think tanks this week

Taiwan News
Date: 020/12/07
By: Micah McCartney, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is stepping up her engagement of influential think tanks affiliated with both major American parties while many in her country grapple with concerns President-elect Joe Biden will prioritize soothing a fraught U.S.-China relationship at Taiwan's expense.

On Wednesday evening (Dec. 9), Tsai is scheduled to speak via video-link at the year-end celebration of the right-wing Hudson Institute alongside Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton and Massachusetts Representative Seth Moulton.

She will also deliver remarks virtually to the Democratic Party-leaning National Democratic Institute (NDI), according to Nikkei. NDI President and former Ambassador Derek Mitchell recently called Taiwan a model for its approach to combatting disinformation in the digital age, and in September, the Taiwanese Ministry of the Interior greenlit the think tank's application to open a representative office in Taipei.

Tsai’s pair of addresses follow her appearance at a Dec. 3 virtual summit of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which is comprised of conservative state legislators. The ALEC awarded the Taiwanese head of state its International Pioneer Award for Leadership for “her international leadership and her strong commitment to free markets.” She was the second international leader to receive the accolade, with Margaret Thatcher being the first in 2006.
[FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 12/07/2020
By: Liu Shih-i and Chiang Yi-ching

Taipei, Dec. 7 (CNA) The Taipei High Administrative Court on Monday rejected a request by CTiTV for an injunction to prevent the shutdown of its CTi News channel when its six-year broadcast license expires on Dec. 11.

CTiTV filed the injunction request after its application for the renewal of CTi News' broadcast license was rejected by the National Communications Commission (NCC) on Nov. 18.

The injunction request sought to allow the continued operation of the channel and to prevent the NCC from allocating the channel 52 slot to another company during a formal administrative suit filed by CTiTV against the NCC.

In a statement Monday, the court said CTiTV could not prove that it had a high chance of winning its lawsuit against the NCC, which is one of the conditions under which an injunction could be granted.    [FULL  STORY]

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 08, 2020
By: Lee I-chia / Staff reporter

A review meeting would be held to discuss how to improve the annual Tshing Shan Festival, which received many noise pollution complaints, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said yesterday.

The festival, held by the Qingshan Temple (青山宮) in Wanhua District (萬華), is one of the three biggest temple festivals in Taipei and ran from Friday through Sunday.

The Taipei City Police Department’s Wanhua Precinct said that the event attracted more than 100,000 participants from Friday to Sunday.

The precinct said that it received 666 reports made through the 110 police hotline, and 959 traffic violations were recorded during the three-day event.    [FULL  STORY]

Those included on the list should act as if they have received a medal: Chen I-chi

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/12/06
By: Kelvin Chen, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP) Chairman Chen I-chi (陳奕齊) on

Sunday (Dec. 5) stated people should not be concerned if they are on China’s list of Taiwanese independence activists but instead treat it as a medal of honor.

The Taiwanese independence group World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI) celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sunday afternoon at the 228 Memorial Museum. The group pointed out that China had drafted a list of “die-hard” Taiwan independence activists last month, adding that Beijing did not realize its decision will only inspire more Taiwanese to defend the nation and reject China’s unification dream, according to CNA.

During the celebration, Academia Historia Director Chen I-shen (陳儀深) took out a 2008 Chinese publication titled "Taiwan Independence Organizations and Figures," revealing that some Taiwanese in the U.S. had expressed concern about being included on the list. However, he said there was no need to worry, as the information was old and not very accurate, suggesting that the newly drafted list would probably be just as outdated.

Chen I-chi said afterward in an interview that he was not aware of China’s recent list. Being included on the list should be like receiving a medal of honor, he explained.   [FULL  STORY]