Diet is the basic need in people's daily life, from ancient times to the present. For important events, the Taiwanese show their mutual indentification on the occasion of a banquet. However, when the host gives a banquet in honor of their distinguished guests, they mainly choose the hilarious Chinese style.
In the past half a century, Taiwan has experienced rapid social changes. And with the changing of trends and consumers' eating habits, the traditional outside catering industry is now confronting the challenges of fading away and transforming.
The purpose of this study is to deeply explore the formation, current situation , and development of the traditional outside catering industry in Taiwan's food culture. Interviews and observations are the major methods of this study to collect data, supplemented by literature reviews. The study has found that
Taiwan's traditional outside catering industry, while finding fewer and fewer followers, requires
positive reforms and innovation. Only when this traditional industry relies on itself and meanwhile is supplemented by subsidiary productions can it grow into a perpetual going-concern.
