Taiwan Ghost Month Doritos

[brianlkennedy]

It turns out that Wandering Ghosts in Taiwan really, really, really like Doritos brand tortilla chips. It was a fact that surprised me as a scholar of Taiwanese Daoism, but it must be true.

And how I know it is true is because the Pepsi Company, which owns Doritos here in Taiwan, put out a special Ghost Month package of Doritos that is to be used as a offering to the Hungry Ghost which wander out of Hades during this month.

And it turns out that Hungry Ghost are hungry; each Doritos package contains 6 bags of Doritos. And among the different flavors that Taiwanese Hungry Ghost seem to fancy are such local forms of Doritos as “Street Vendor Sausage Flavor” No fooling, that is what the flavor is called. “Street Vendor Sausage Flavor Doritos” are however an “acquired taste”. I have been slowly working my way through a bag and with every chip I can not quite decide whether to retch or whether they are in fact delicious. I will grant them this, they do mimic the true Taiwanese taste of street vendor BBQ sausages. That may, or may not, be a good thing.

By way of background, Ghost Month (鬼月) which is a very important period for traditional Chinese Daoist and Buddhist-it is one of the traditional events that both Daoist and Buddhist participate in, albeit in slightly different ways.

Ghost month, like all traditional holidays/festivals in Chinese culture, is set on the Lunar calendar. The basic ten second version of what is going on is, on the 7th month the gates of hell are opened. Ghost then can roam the earth and often visit their families. The families present offerings; which can be food, drink, money or other things the deceased ancestors may need in hell.

Including Doritos! I will shoot some photos of the Ghost Month Doritos and post them. Well, it turns out Gene was right; Doritos are truly the favorite food of all Supernatural Beings.

Tortilla Brian

[Mas Judt]

Sounds like the ghosts are smoking pot, like apparently, a lot of the folks on this board.

[Shaolinlueb]

isnt it just called the underworld and not hell? is it something lost in translation?

cause obviously there version of hell is different from a christian one. need money, cars, and food in hell?

[SPJ]

yes. the gate of the hell is opened.

then the gate will close in a lunar month.

--

when I was a little kid, I always liked to swim in a river or lake.

but in ghost month, I never dipped in any water for fear of the ghost pulling my leg and drown me--

[SPJ]

anything edible may be offered

so they dun eat us.

and leave us alone.

dorito'es or not.

[SPJ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1_opYwgdb4

a upcoming good singer from Taiwan.

[SPJ]

also when you see a pretty girl in the street at nite.

do not follow her.

she could be a ghost trying to lure you to be her company down below.

--

anyway, just be very careful.

--

childhood tales of the dark side.

[SPJ]

do not whistle at nite.

you would call in all the wandering ghosts trying to find homes.

do not drive in an accident prone section or corner of the highway.

they may be waiting for you.

---

[SPJ]

Yes. We pay respect to all things living or non living.

this is the time they roam the living world.

we pay respect, give them some offerings or feed them.

then we send them home at down under.

[jdhowland]

isnt it just called the underworld and not hell? is it something lost in translation?

cause obviously there version of hell is different from a christian one. need money, cars, and food in hell?

Either word can be used (even Hades can be understood here) since neither is a specifically christian term. Hell in English and other germanic languages means a hidden or covered place and was used as a name for the world of the dead before christianity came along. Heaven and god are also common pre-christian words.

[brothernumber9]

Seriously,

You just BLEW my mind! Tell me they are going to release some of these in the U.S. BBQ Sausage?!! Street vendor or whatever, I gotta try something like that. The only way it would be better if it was Fritos instead of Doritos. But either way it sounds GOOT!! (not just good but GOOT!)

It turns out that Wandering Ghosts in Taiwan really, really, really like Doritos brand tortilla chips. It was a fact that surprised me as a scholar of Taiwanese Daoism, but it must be true.

And how I know it is true is because the Pepsi Company, which owns Doritos here in Taiwan, put out a special Ghost Month package of Doritos that is to be used as a offering to the Hungry Ghost which wander out of Hades during this month.

And it turns out that Hungry Ghost are hungry; each Doritos package contains 6 bags of Doritos. And among the different flavors that Taiwanese Hungry Ghost seem to fancy are such local forms of Doritos as “Street Vendor Sausage Flavor” No fooling, that is what the flavor is called. “Street Vendor Sausage Flavor Doritos” are however an “acquired taste”. I have been slowly working my way through a bag and with every chip I can not quite decide whether to retch or whether they are in fact delicious. I will grant them this, they do mimic the true Taiwanese taste of street vendor BBQ sausages. That may, or may not, be a good thing.

By way of background, Ghost Month (鬼月) which is a very important period for traditional Chinese Daoist and Buddhist-it is one of the traditional events that both Daoist and Buddhist participate in, albeit in slightly different ways.

Ghost month, like all traditional holidays/festivals in Chinese culture, is set on the Lunar calendar. The basic ten second version of what is going on is, on the 7th month the gates of hell are opened. Ghost then can roam the earth and often visit their families. The families present offerings; which can be food, drink, money or other things the deceased ancestors may need in hell.

Including Doritos! I will shoot some photos of the Ghost Month Doritos and post them. Well, it turns out Gene was right; Doritos are truly the favorite food of all Supernatural Beings.

Tortilla Brian

[Ben Gash]

I like the pork rib hotpot flavour Lays you get in China.

[Rockwood]

Cool! I wonder if hungry ghosts like Cool Ranch as well. Thanks Brian for keeping us updated with the latest in Taiwan. Taoism is an interesting religion and it's fun to see how it keeps up with the times.

-Jess O

[GeneChing]

Brian, do share some pics.

Mas Judt, ghosts smoke incense. duh. As for the toxicity of the members of our forum community, many have been hit on the head too much. Others, not enough.

SLL: If you ever get the chance, you must visit Tiger Balm Gardens. They have a fabulous depiction of Chinese hell in a house of horrors like walk through cave. There was a small Buddhist hell under the Temple of Four Directions across from Shaolin, but the last time I was there it was closed.

SPJ, good advice on the superstitions, especially about the pretty girls.

[SimonM]

China had all sorts of wierd potato chip flavours. These included:

Cooked Ham
Prawn
Lemon Thai
Kimchi (those were good)
Barbecued Chicken Wings

of course China is also home of the candied cuttlefish so some of the wierd chip flavours seem downright normal when compared to local treats.