Beef noodle soup is Taiwan's national dish, but its existence is surprising, given that eating beef was taboo on the island not too long ago. Today, there's an annual beef noodle contest where chefs from around the nation duke it out to see who makes the best bowl. How did this happen? Reporter and cookbook author Clarissa Wei investigates. (Clarissa’s forthcoming cookbook, Made in Taiwan, is scheduled for release on September 19, 2023.) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices