Taiwanese-style catered banquets—known locally as pān-toh—have a distinctive history, complete with their own conventions. The dishes served at these streetside banquets carry symbolic meanings. Often marking life’s major milestones or important days on religious calendars, the pān-toh, or banzhuo in Mandarin, offers an opportunity for hosts to entertain and catch up with their guests while indulging in gastronomic pleasures.