Tatung rice cooker - multifunctional cooker and steamer, an important cultural asset representing Taiwan's everyday life.
Ever hear of Tatung? The Taiwanese company used to make steel but in 1960 started selling rice cookers that to this day account for 95% of all rice cooker sales on the island. And now it wants to conquer the rest of the world with its old standby.
What's so special about a rice cooker? This one is multitalented. It also steams dumplings and simmers stews, making it a must-have gadget in a land where many women continue working after marriage. And where steamed, meat-filled buns are a specialty.
The rice cooker has a unique double-layer construction that cooks indirectly. Indirect heating is said to preserve nutritional value; it also helps to prevent overcooking. An outer pot holds and boils water, which heats food in an inner pot. When the water in the first chamber evaporates, the device shuts itself off, keeping the ingredients in the second chamber at a warm 70 C. According to a Tatung representative, the cooker steams rice more evenly than other cookers.
Tatung's electric cooker is especially good for reheating steamed dumplings and similar dishes because it tends to preserve the original flavor and texture, which are often lost when reheated in a microwave or convection oven.
Tatung introduced the cooker more than half a century ago because it wanted to sell more steel. Tatung had a technical alliance with Toshiba back then and got its inspiration for the rice cooker's design from its Japanese partner.
