Mintz (2003) introduced the concept of "eating communities" to understand national cuisine and how individuals form communities by consuming the same food or communal eating, which emphasizes the role of food as a symbol of identity (Chen, 2020). However, with the rise of social media, these communities are increasingly shifting online (Lieberman et al., 2020), creating opportunities to transform eating communities into online communities. To explore the potential transformation and how online communities can foster the homogeneity and familiarity needed for eating communities, a netnography was conducted with content analysis to examine the formation and online behaviors. This study focuses on the content of a Facebook post and its comments by Mingzong Cao, a journalist dedicated to studying Taiwanese food and their names. The post delves into cold noodles in Taiwan, particularly a region-specific dish in northern Tainan called "sprout noodles." Several discussions are opened in the comments and were coded based on demographics (local/tourist), sentiments (excitement, curiosity, pride, nostalgia), and personal stories or interactions. The findings were categorized into three themes: personal experiences or thoughts, additional information about the noodles, and questions raised. The result shows how the cultural dynamics that traditionally shaped eating communities have evolved as the creation of social relations and cultural distinctiveness have now extended beyond the dining table to online platforms. As eating communities initially focused on the construction of national cuisine, this exploration offers a novel approach to discussing the ambiguity of Taiwanese cuisine, potentially contributing to desired tourism and political outcomes.

Authors:
Yun Lee, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan
Hui-Wen Lin, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
A postgraduate student at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan, specializing in creative industries design.

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https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Hieu-Ngo-6

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