由僑委會策劃的臺灣美食巡迴講座，上周日於匹茲堡的Manchester Academic Charter School熱鬧登場，吸引了超過200名的大小朋友參加。名廚 溫國智的美食天地 和陳瑞昌 帶來了七道道地的台灣美食，包括台式鹹酥雞、鳳梨蝦球、浮水肉羮、金瓜炒米粉、台式叉燒肉、台式炒飯和創意皮蛋豆腐。主辦單位Taiwan Aloha更準備了其他來自Bubble Fish Robinson、Thai Foon、芋見BAO、Pho Van與Sesame Inn芷園的招牌菜小籠包、蘿蔔糕、芋頭糕、珍珠奶茶等與主廚的美食搭配讓民眾享用。
此場活動剛好與賴清德訪問美國於紐約僑宴的時間相同，現場民眾都笑稱這是在匹茲堡的僑宴分會場。特別自紐約搭機前來的Hello Taiwan副執行長暨僑務促進委員楊承融也表示，為了力挺Taiwan Aloha的第一場活動，忍痛放棄了與賴副總統早午餐的機會，但看到現場滿滿熱情民眾的笑容，覺得非常值得與感動。另外，現場更有搭夜車趕到的Keep Taiwan超大黑熊，無論老中青幼，都為之瘋狂，爭相與其拍照。
Taiwan Aloha 是人稱匹茲堡公主的莊靜婷會長受到Hello Taiwan的啟發，於上個月剛成立的非營利組織，旨在推廣台灣文化，將台灣帶到世界的舞台上。成員包括蔡思亭博士、林佳蓉博士和林芳如三位，堪稱超高學歷團隊。
活動除了美食之外，更邀請了許多團體的表演，包括寶來屋異國風情舞蹈、武術表演、扯鈴表演、帶動跳和傳統舞蹈表演。現場還有Hello Taiwan的黑熊和丸莊的醬油進行義賣，更備有由TMD RETAIL所提供的獎品讓民眾抽獎。聯邦眾議員Summer Lee和州議員Sara Immanorato也特別派人來到現場支持！令人驚訝的是，主辦單位更請到知名麵包師傅吳寶春、國民姑丈羅時豐以及人稱國防部長的我國職棒好手張育成的祝福影片。賴清德副總統剛抵達巴拉圭也透過推廣食物的方式與網友們互動，自稱「賴food」，與此次美食展成為一個有趣的巧合，展現了臺灣美食文化的魅力和國際影響力。
來自卡內基美隆大學的鄭皓元前兩天剛去馬里蘭的美國國家檔案局擔任「 國家寶藏 」的翻拍史料尋寶志工，他表示「發現台灣食物自古以來就非常受到美國人的喜愛，可以說美食就是台灣的國家寶藏之一。」亞太裔美國勞工聯盟(Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, APALA) 董事及匹茲堡分會會長劉又齊也到場參與，並提到「匹茲堡的人口組成越來越多元，亞太裔美國勞工聯盟一直在用跨種族、多語言的方式進行社區培力和草根運動，在這次的活動，透過台灣美食，和社區的夥伴從台灣的歷史文化聊到現在的危機與轉機，是很珍貴的交流」
International Tour of Taiwan Gourmet Cuisines , organized by the Taiwan Overseas Community Affairs Council, was held last Sunday at the Manchester Academic Charter School in Pittsburgh. It attracted over 200 children and adults. Renowned chefs Wen kuochih and Chen Juichang presented seven authentic Taiwanese dishes, including Taiwanese-style popcorn chicken, pineapple shrimp balls, pork congee, pumpkin fried rice noodles, Taiwanese-style char siu, Taiwanese fried rice, and creative preserved egg tofu. Taiwan Aloha, the organizer, also prepared signature dishes from Bubble Fish Robinson, Thai Foon, Taro Bao, Pho Van, and Sesame Inn to complement the chefs' creations. These included xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), radish cake, taro cake, and bubble tea.
This event coincided with Vice President Lai Ching-te's visit to the United States for a banquet in New York, and attendees humorously referred to it as a branch of the banquet in Pittsburgh. Darren Yang, the Vice President of Hello Taiwan and Associate Adviser of OCAC, specially flew from New York to show support. Despite missing the opportunity for breakfast with Vice President William Lai, he found it worth it upon witnessing the enthusiastic smiles of the attendees.
Taiwan Aloha , inspired by the Hello Taiwan organization, was founded by President Tina Chuang , known as the "Pittsburgh Princess." The nonprofit organization aims to promote Taiwanese culture and showcase Taiwan on the world stage. Its members include Dr. Sih-Ting Cai, Dr. Jasmin Lin, and Jill Lin, forming a team of highly educated individuals.
Apart from the delectable cuisine, the event featured various performances from different groups, including international dance, martial arts displays, diabolo performances, line dancing, and traditional dances. Hello Taiwan's mascot, the black bear, and Maruko Soy Sauce were sold to support charitable causes. TMD RETAIL provided prizes for a lucky draw. Federal Representative Summer Lee and State Representative Sara Immanorato also sent representatives to show their support.
Surprisingly, the event received blessing videos from renowned bakers Wu Pao-Chun, Daniel Lo, and the baseball star Yu-Cheng Chang. Vice President Lai Ching-te, who was visiting Paraguay at the time, interacted with netizens by promoting food, humorously referring to himself as "Lai Food." This amusing coincidence highlighted Taiwan's culinary charm and global influence.
Harry Cheng from Carnegie Mellon University had recently volunteered at the U.S. National Archives in Maryland as part of the "National Treasure" project. He stated, "Taiwanese cuisine has been loved by Americans for a long time. It can be said that food is one of Taiwan's national treasures."
Sabrina Liu, director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and president of its Pittsburgh chapter, attended and remarked, "The population of Pittsburgh is becoming increasingly diverse. APALA has been conducting community empowerment and grassroots movements in a multicultural and multilingual manner. This event, through Taiwanese cuisine, provided a valuable platform to discuss Taiwan's history, culture, crises, and opportunities with the community partners."
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