Taste of Nostalgia: Russian Emigrants, Field and Spatial Production of Astoria in Taipei

On the streets of Taipei in the 1960s, Astoria was not only a café for exiled Russians to satisfy their cravings for homemade food, but also a shelter for indigenous writers to produce literary works. Against the background of the cold war and martial law in Taiwan, the existence of Astoria depends on factors such as management model of the store, the preferences of the guests and the social atmosphere. A delicate balance between foreign and local cultures was also formed here. Although the White Terror remained, the patronage of Chiang's sons and daughter-in-law made the "US-Soviet" relationship under the atmosphere of the Cold War exceptional, thus providing fertile ground for the development of contemporary literature in Taiwan. The birth of Astoria, its location and customers created a special field involving power, discourse and the senses of taste which is still remembered for almost seventy years long until today.