To promote the sustainable concept of “cherishing food,” the New Taipei City Environmental Protection Department held the 2025 “Man Han Quan Xi” selection event, featuring two categories: the Food-Appreciation Recipe category and the Creative Food-Appreciation Lesson Plan category. A total of 31 outstanding submissions were received. On July 26, the final round for the recipe category and the award ceremony were held at Juang Jing Vocational High School. Through hands-on cooking and creative presentations, the event encouraged citizens to practice food appreciation in daily meals and educational settings, in support of the city's net-zero, green-living goals.

This year's competition attracted 31 impressive entries from participants across diverse fields, including high school and vocational students, school teachers, community college instructors, and renowned hotel chefs — showcasing broad enthusiasm and creativity in advancing the concept of food appreciation.

The entries in the Creative Food-Appreciation Lesson Plan category addressed diverse themes, including local agricultural products, artificial intelligence, and population aging. After preliminary and final reviews, the first prize was awarded to the lesson plan “Grapefruit for You—Eat and Love the Earth”, jointly designed by teacher Lin Chia-Yi of Bali Junior High School and dietitian Yang Yi-Jing. Targeted at junior-high students, the lesson begins with the issue of food waste from school lunches. Through hands-on activities, students quantify actual leftovers, motivating them to reflect on waste generation and understand the significance of food-waste sorting and its downstream applications. The lesson also incorporates the real-world issue of unsold pomelos in Bali District, using a series of pomelo-themed learning activities to strengthen students’ sense of local identity. The winning team expressed hope that their design will help integrate school lunches with local agricultural features, raising broader awareness of the food-appreciation issues surrounding Bali's pomelos.




The final round of the Food-Appreciation Recipe category featured live cooking, judged by seasoned chef Lin Yi-Cheng, Professor Huang Bao-Yuan of Hsing Wu University's Department of Hospitality Management, and Ms. Ho Chia-Ying, co-founder of the Sustainable Dining Promotion Association. Contestants showcased their culinary strengths, demonstrating exceptional care in both preparation and presentation. All dishes closely embodied the food-appreciation philosophy—emphasizing full use of ingredients, seasonal and local produce, minimizing food waste and environmental impact, and creatively maximizing the value of surplus ingredients. The first prize ultimately went to Mr. Hu Hao-Chien for his dish “Sweet Potato Bird’s Nest with Roasted Pumpkin Slices / Crispy Pork Belly.” He noted that he wished to present crispy pork belly in a set-meal format and incorporate the five principles of food appreciation, embedding the flavors of cherished memories in the sweet-potato nest and evoking the joy of sharing a meal with family.

The Environmental Protection Department stated that the first-prize winners from both categories will represent New Taipei City in August at the 3rd National “Cherish Kitchen Chef” Selection hosted by the Ministry of Environment—competing in the Northern Regional Final for the recipe category and the National Final for the lesson-plan category. The teams will exchange ideas with counterparts from across the country, jointly advancing the food-appreciation movement, transforming eating habits nationwide, and contributing to a more sustainable future.