Quiche Lorraine

Quiche lorraine or simply known as quiche, is a classic French dish that can be found all over the world, even in the humble city of Tainan.  While many Taiwanese folk are still unfamiliar as to what is quiche, this famous pastry is starting to win the hearts and appetites of food lovers all over Taiwan. 

It originated in the 16th century, from the northern province of Lorraine in France, sharing the border with Germany.  Thus while the word quiche comes from French, it actually is borrowed from the German word, kuchen, which means cake albeit a savory one.  Originally, quiche lorraine was a rural dish and was cooked in a cast-iron pan where the pastry edges were not crimped or folded. While quiche is considered to be a staple in French cuisine, there are variations in other countries.  In northern England, quiche is known as bacon and egg pie, with a checkered pattern of pastry on the top.

Essentially, a quiche is a savory pastry crust dish with an open face. The filling is comprised of eggs and cream, which becomes a custard when baked for roughly half an hour.  Quite often, further ingredients make up the rest of the filling, such as meat or vegetables. Traditionally, quiche lorraine is also comprised of bacon and much later on cheese, but there are other popular varieties such as spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes or tuna. 

Generally, quiche is eaten as a light meal with a fresh salad, bread and white wine or as a heavy appetiser to a full course meal. And what a delicious appetiser it makes! The combination of baked pastry with egg, cheese and bacon is certainly going to get your mouth to start watering, especially when you cut out your first bite, as the mixture of steam and aroma waft out from within the quiche, almost as if to come out and wish you “bon appetit!” I can confidently say that once you have tried quiche once, there will be a second and third time and so forth.

Old Town, Tainan City

While Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and was the first capital of the country, it is by no means antiquated or backwater as some have been led to believe. Initially, I was one of those people who perceived Tainan as a sleepy old town when I moved from the bustling Taipei. To many outsiders, Tainan City is often associated with ancient temples, historical sites, traditional snacks and retired, old folk. Ho-hum!

While there is no denying that Tainan is rich with the above mentioned, I have discovered through my time here, that there is actually more than traditional cultural tourism in Tainan. Although I have grown to appreciate the old world charm of this relaxed and friendly city, those who are more interested in other pursuits will be pleasantly surprised here as there are indeed an abundance of cafes, restaurants, bars, shops and outdoor activities. However, this is what makes Tainan so enchanting, where the modern blends harmoniously with the traditional. This is certainly no easy accomplishment as there are cities who mix old with new, but the outcome is often more ultra-consumerist modernism devouring the old and traditional. 

So having lived for nearly three years in Tainan now, I actually find myself preferring to live here rather than a sprawling metropolis. Interestingly enough, many locals say that no matter where they go or how long they are away, they always want to return to Tainan. Could it be the sunny and pleasant weather? The friendliness of locals? Or the sheer number of traditional eateries available? Perhaps it is all these things and more, but in the words of the famous Taiwanese writer, Yeh Shih-Tao, “Tainan, it’s a place for people to dream, work, fall in love, get married and live life leisurely.”

Photo of the Chinese Banyan Tree at my old school, Cheng-Kung university in Tainan. To me, this scene represents how the tree, like Tainan, offers shelter, beauty and a gathering place to relax with others.  Despite its old age, it continues to flourish.