I
am Mathias M.C. Mailosi from Malawi in southern Africa and I am
currently studying in the department of Agricultural Economics at
National Taiwan University (NTU) as a graduate student. My program of
study is International Agricultural Policy Development and Management
I find my stay here to be a once in a life time opportunity which I
intend to utilize to its possible limits. Taiwan over the years made big
strides on the economic front and I think this is also why I need to
fully appreciate my learning experience here, especially because Malawi
is a developing country, we can learn from and follow Taiwan’s success
in developing economies.
Talking about food, I think Taiwan has a good
variety of food to offer and therefore eating is gradually becoming one
of my hobbies here. Most of the time, I have my meals at local Taiwanese
restaurants on or outside campus.
Naturally, Taiwanese food is quite different from what I would call
Malawian food. To begin with, the variety of food here in Taiwan is far
unparallel with that in Malawi. As far as I can remember, maize is the
staple food in Malawi and is usually supplemented by rice and Irish
potatoes. Although other food such as sweet potatoes and pumpkins are
also fairly common, maize remains largely the most important food.
Because Malawi is a landlocked country, there are no sea foods. Thus
enjoying excellent sea foods in Taiwan has also been one of my great
moments since I stepped on this land.
It should be noted, however, that some of the food are common in
Malawi and Taiwan. On one hand, I am thinking of cooking and roasting
maize mixed with the Taiwanese food. On the other hand, I also found
most of the fruits to be familiar although there were times I was amazed
by some new varieties of fruits. Whenever I spot new fruits, I never
hesitate to try some. ‘Discovering’ new types of food is becoming a
worthwhile endeavor because I have not been disappointed. The food is so
good. I am already beginning to feel like at home because I’m accustomed
to the food in Taiwan.
Finally, I wish to thank the Taiwan International Cooperation and
Development Fund (ICDF) and the great Taiwanese people for extending
their helping hands to me and to give me the opportunity to appreciate
the oriental culture of Taiwan, and the last but not the least, to
benefit from Taiwan’s highly regarded higher education.
* This article was edited by Professor Yir-Huieh Luh
at Department of Agricultural Economics, National Taiwan University.
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