Hui-Wen Angel Cheng and Julien Thibault, owners of the award-winning Miso Izakaya Sligo restaurant, are not a conventional Irish culinary couple. Angel is a 23nd generation Hakka from Taiwan with a biomedical doctorate; Julien is a butter-loving chemist from France. They met and fell in love in Ireland; even while they pursued their day jobs in this country, their passion for eating endured.

Tune in to get a glimpse of the different elements that comprise Taiwan’s food and culture, and what it means to be the minority Hakka (guest people). Listen for Taiwan street food tips, how one tweaks a san pei chi (three cup chicken) to perfection, and what is the most excellent fish to cook when you are courting.

Plus hear insights into being an international foodies in rural Cavan. Where do Angel and Julien shop? (A favourite Spice Bags topic.) Where do they eat? Besides running Miso Izakaya, Angel and Julien are active members of Cavan 4C (Cavan Cross Cultural Community), which unites the international-Irish people in their area with festivities and – you guessed it -- food.

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Mentioned in this episode:www.misosligo.ie www.facebook.com/mimikoshopireland/Cavan 4C Cross Cultural Community 

For more about Taiwan and its history, we recommend Murray A. Rubenstein’s Taiwan: A New History.   

Getting to Know SpiceBagsOur podcast episodes come in three delectable flavours:Deep dives – comprehensive explorations into a country’s cuisine.Staple chats – where we dish about a topic amongst ourselves.Interviews – with individuals who have been impactful on the international Irish scene. 

Pick a flavour, we hope you like more than one!  

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