In March, when Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen visited New York City—a trip so diplomatically sensitive that it was billed as a “stopover,” not an official visit—her itinerary included a jaunt to the Yun Hai Taiwanese General Store, in Brooklyn.
Filled with everything from soy sauce made by a third-generation brewer to chef’s knives hand-forged from artillery shells that China has fired on Taiwan, the 20-foot-wide store embodies the autonomous island’s identity within the American cultural conversation. It also represents the physical nucleus of Taiwanese Americans Lisa Cheng Smith and Lillian Lin’s young brand, Yun Hai. In addition to the storefront, they oversee a digital marketplace, which offers imported Taiwanese food items and home goods that often sell out, and a wholesale business that boasts such clients as Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Tin Building market in New York, Zingerman’s in Michigan, and Sqirl in Los Angeles. Beyond retail, Cheng Smith and Lin have contributed Lunar New Year menus to Bon Appétit, addressed U.S.-China geopolitics in Foreign Policy, introduced Americans to Taiwanese history and cuisine through a Substack newsletter, and produced Time, Terroir, Taiwan, a documentary short that’s an homage to soy sauce.
They have also focused particularly on fruit. Two years ago, China, which had been the buyer of more than 90% of Taiwan’s exported pineapples, suddenly made it illegal to import them. Two months later, Yun Hai launched a Kickstarter to raise money to bring a dried version to the United States. It was so successful (the company raised more than $113,000) that Yun Hai expanded its goal and acquired 14 tons of not only pineapples but other vulnerable exported fruits such as guavas, Irwin mangoes, and wax apples. Dried snack items created from this produce remain top sellers at Yun Hai, helping independent Taiwanese producers expand their export options as China extends its trade war even further. Last August, Nancy Pelosi’s historic meeting with President Tsai in Taiwan drew new Chinese bans on pastries, seafood, honey, and other products.
One of Cheng Smith and Lin’s most valuable services is keeping expats and foodies alike up-to-date with Taiwan’s vibrant and evolving culture. “My mom left in her twenties, and she can find some of the brands she loves in American Chinese grocery stores,” Cheng Smith explains. “But there has been so much growth in artisanal food in Taiwan that she knows nothing about.” Polls indicate that the number of Taiwanese citizens who identify solely as Taiwanese (as opposed to both Taiwanese and Chinese) has steadily increased over the past decade, suggesting newfound pride, which comes with a desire among local artisans to showcase products abroad. “A beautiful bottle of soy sauce from Taiwan can subvert the idea that Taiwan is just a pawn on the world stage,” Cheng Smith says. “It creates an understanding of Taiwan as a country that has its own sense of being and culture and agricultural output. That can be very powerful, beyond just political rhetoric.”
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