The Raw and the Cooked

It's all but guaranteed that viewers will be salivating for Taiwanese food by the time they finish watching The Raw and the Cooked, which looks at the cuisine of this island nation of 23 million people, including the culinary habits of descendants of indigenous tribes, who keep their own food (and other cultural) traditions alive. Filmmaker Monika Treut begins in the north, in Taipei, where she visits world-renowned restaurant Shin Yeh for a multi-course meal including sow livers (“delicate like the ladies,” the head chef says). From there, Treut discovers the secret to the perfect dumpling (18 folds, it seems), and visits a night market in the city where crowds of hungry people wander through a carnival-like atmosphere, enjoying an amazing array of organic food dishes. She also travels inland to look at a thriving network of organic farmers and buyers who believe deeply in supporting the natural cycle of food production. Treut witnesses a demonstration against a proposed petrochemical factory threatening local waters, and interviews a restaurant cook who catches his own fish by hand. This emphasis on linking the enjoyment of food with personal involvement in its harvesting carries over to Treut's visits with various aboriginal tribes, as we see tribal people preparing food that looks unbearably delicious (including the Hakka Chinese specialty seafood and pumpkin soup). The tour ends in Pulin with a visit to a popular fusion restaurant, where viewers behold such beautiful dishes as rose-petal sushi and ailanthus prickly ash. DVD extras include recipes. A wonderful culinary excursion that is likely to appeal to both foodies and armchair travelers, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)