U.S., Japanese envoys showcase New Year dishes as Year of Horse approaches

Taipei, Feb. 16 (CNA) Representatives to Taiwan from the United States and Japan recently showcased signature New Year dishes from their countries, including Japanese mochi (rice cakes) and Kentucky bourbon, as Taiwan prepares to welcome the Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar.

Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍), American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene, and Kazuyuki Katayama, chief representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association's Taipei Office, presented foods commonly eaten in their countries to celebrate the New Year at a press event held Feb. 4 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) headquarters in Taipei.

Katayama, the de facto Japanese ambassador to Taiwan, said that unlike Taiwan, which celebrates the Lunar New Year, Japan celebrates the New Year according to the Gregorian calendar on Jan. 1 each year.

Some of the most iconic New Year foods in Japan include soba noodles, which symbolize longevity because of their length, Katayama said.

Omochi is another New Year's dish that symbolizes longevity because of its stretchy texture, he added.

The Japanese envoy prepared three kinds of omochi: isobe yaki -- grilled mochi dipped in soy sauce and wrapped in a sheet of dried seaweed; kinako mochi -- glutinous rice cakes coated with roasted soybean powder; and zenzai -- sweet red bean soup with mochi.

Greene, the top U.S. envoy to Taiwan, presented an "American plate" featuring a variety of snacks, including apples, cheeses, and Kentucky bourbon, as he introduced American foods for the New Year.

According to the AIT official, unlike Japanese and Taiwanese people, Americans generally regard Thanksgiving and Christmas as more important traditional occasions for family gatherings than the New Year.

When celebrating the New Year, Americans tend to spend time with close friends and enjoy a glass of wine and snacks as refreshments, he said.

Greene highlighted Blanton's single-barrel bourbon from Kentucky, noting that the smooth, sweet whiskey is made from at least 50 percent corn, one of the most iconic American agricultural commodities.

Blanton's bourbon bottles also feature a small galloping horse, as bourbon is closely linked to the Kentucky Derby, making it a fitting drink to mark the Year of the Horse on the lunar calendar, he added.

During the same event, Lin invited a group of young Taiwanese farmers to introduce dishes made with Taiwanese agricultural products for Lunar New Year reunion meals.

This is the second time the Lunar New Year event has been held in the run up to the Lunar New Year since Lin took office in May 2024. It is intended to promote Taiwanese agricultural products to international audiences.

This year, Lin invited the American and Japanese envoys to participate to symbolize their close trilateral ties, according to MOFA.