New sustainable food concept transforms food waste into fine cuisine

In the market, many ugly agricultural products are hard to sell and often end up eliminated or discarded. According to statistics from the Environmental Protection Administration, 2,000 metric tons of imported food is discarded each year in Taiwan, which is equivalent to about 5 million lunches. To address this serious food waste problem, Huamei Community Surplus Restaurant (華美社區廚房) is using creativity to maintain the value of ugly food and change people's attitude towards so-called food waste.

In addition to cooking up a buffet created from rejected food products, Huamei Community Surplus Restaurant also invites residents to take home free surplus produce in the afternoon and jointly help clean and sort vegetables. Visitors are also encouraged to bring any food items close to expiry, which they can swap for things in the "compassion" fridge. Such activities have not only helped to build cohesiveness in the neighborhood but also provide a direct response to the food waste crisis - through the power of "food," Huamei Community Surplus Restaurant has established a sense camaraderie among community residents. So next time you sit down to enjoy a delicious meal, remember to cherish every bite, because god food doesn't come easy.

以下為中文對照

食物永續新觀念 剩餘食材變佳餚

在市場上，許多賣相較差的農產品，容易遭到淘汰或丟棄。根據環保署統計，台灣平均每年報廢進口蔬果約有2000公噸，約等於500萬個便當，造成嚴重的食物浪費，為了因應此問題，華美社區廚房推行剩食創意料理，延續食物的價值，並打破民眾對剰食的飲食迷思。

除了供應剩食料理外，華美廚房也於下午時段，開放社區民眾免費拿菜活動，許多居民也會帶著即期食材來愛心冰箱做交換，並一同幫忙整菜和挑菜，鄰里間聯絡感情的同時，也一同響應剩食運動。透過「食」的力量強化了社區居民互助意識，當一道道美味佳餚上桌，開心用餐時，我們都應珍惜著每樣食物的得來不易。

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