Although the Chamber normally concentrates on more sober matters such as economic trends, business developments, and regulatory issues facing multinational operations in Taiwan, as evident in our magazine, Taiwan Business TOPICS, the two special issues are a welcome chance for a change of pace. They are designed to give our readers -- whether expatriates on assignment here, visitors (or potential visitors), or local residents -- insights into some of the particular pleasures of life in Taiwan.

Among the foremost of those pleasures is the enjoyment of a wide range of good food (and drink). Taiwan has long been known for having some of the best Chinese food in the world, and perhaps the broadest variety as well, due to the presence of many people here from all parts of the China mainland. In addition, local cuisine -- Taiwanese, Hakka, and aboriginal -- has also gained a wider following in recent years as interest in domestic culture has grown. And as Taiwan has become more cosmopolitan, many other styles of cooking -- including Western, Japanese, Korean, Southeast Asian, and the Indian food featured in this issue -- have become widely available as well. Quality standards are generally kept high because so many local customers take their eating quite seriously.

One of AmCham's organizational missions is to promote the enhancement of Taiwan's quality of life, for the benefit of both citizens and foreign guests. Through these special annual editions of TOPICS, we hope to encourage the preservation of the best elements of Taiwan's cultural traditions and to make them accessible to an even larger number of people.