Tender beef slices stuffed with fresh mango and asparagus shoots, giant braised abalone on a bed of Chinese cabbage, steamed crabs with spring onion and ginger dressing, these are just a few of the dishes showcased at a Tuesday press conference to whet the appetite for the upcoming 2010 Taiwan Culinary Exhibition. Tuesday's event featured tantalizing seafood and meat dishes from restaurants participating in the 'Turf vs. Surf -- the Siraya and Southwest Coast Pavilions' -- one of the several displays that will feature at the exhibition. According to the organizers, the cuisines from coastal and mountainous areas of Tainan, Chiayi, and Yunlin counties are some of Taiwan's best because the region is blessed with freshwater fish, oysters, groupers and milkfish, as well as fruit such as mango, longan and cantaloupe, along with vegetables such as lotus and asparagus. All the dishes presented at the pavilions, said Tsai Ching-chuang, the exhibition's executive director, were made with local ingredients found in the surrounding area. 'Not only do we want the world to know about Taiwan's incredible gastronomic tradition, we also want to show that through our cuisine, we are contributing to the fight against global warming by using only locally sourced ingredients,' he said. Chang Chun-sheng, the head chef of the Masa Garden restaurant in Tainan County's Yujing Township -- the main mango-producing area in Taiwan -- said the reason she chose mango as the main ingredient for all her dishes is because the fruit is loved by all. After months of searching for the perfect combination, she finally created her signature dish -- steamed halved squash stuffed with mango, nuts and pork. All the ingredients except for the pork were grown in the garden of her restaurant. Seafood chef Kuo Yan-hsin, meanwhile, said she takes pride in her famous fried bass dipped in a red yeast rice batter with a tangy Thai-style sauce. 'This dish is very healthy because it is low in fat and the red yeast rice is excellent for the digestion. The sauce adds a wonderful touch to the fish, bringing out the flavor of the ocean, ' she said, adding that the bass used in the dish is raised at an aquaculture pond close to the restaurant. Scheduled to kick off in Taipei Aug. 27, the four-day exhibition is Taiwan's most scrumptious event, with chefs from all over the country eager to show off their latest culinary creativity and prowess. Visitors will be able to enjoy a cornucopia of flavors offered by food from all over Taiwan, including Hakka specialties, tea-based dishes and even snacks with a Malay-Polynesian twist. 