Under one bright moon, the island of Taiwan and the land of abundance are linked together.

Feng Haiyan, a Sichuan native who has run "Lajidian Chuanchuanxiang" in Taipei for 19 years, and Li Kele, a Taiwanese woman who manages "Ganlin Mutton Hot Pot" and has put down roots in Chengdu for a full decade, use food as a bridge to celebrate Mid-Autumn together amid the bustling flavors on both sides of the strait.

Li Kele explained that in Taiwan, family barbecues are popular during Mid-Autumn, and this is not an ancient tradition but rather a custom that gradually became a popular way to celebrate the holiday after being influenced by the advertising slogan "one family grills, ten thousand families smell the aroma."

Feng Haiyan said that in Chengdu, when relatives and friends gather for Mid-Autumn, eating hot pot is a popular choice.

This Mid-Autumn, both chose to follow local customs: Feng Haiyan, in Taipei, barbecued according to local tradition, while Li Kele, settled in Chengdu, gathered with friends around a hot pot.

"Barbecue and hot pot differ only in cooking method; in reality, both involve a family sitting together, choosing ingredients they like, and at the core it is all about gathering and reunion," Li Kele said.

In fact, the two women have long blended flavors from both sides of the strait into their own dishes.

At the skewer shop in Taipei, Sichuan ice jelly is paired with Taiwanese brown sugar; at the mutton hot pot restaurant in Chengdu, Taiwanese dipping sauce is infused with Sichuan chili.

When talking about how to arrange a reunion dinner if they were to host relatives and friends from both Taiwan and Sichuan at the same time, the two each had their own ideas.

Li Kele recommended Taiwanese mutton hot pot: "Mutton hot pot is very similar to regular hot pot. Taiwanese friends can taste a flavor from home, and Sichuan friends can also try a Taiwanese style, paired with oyster omelet and Taiwanese stinky tofu."

Feng Haiyan planned to prepare barbecue, paired with roasted chili preserved egg, crispy pork, and pickled pepper chicken feet, along with honey barbecue sauce, balancing sweet and spicy to satisfy diners from both places.

This Mid-Autumn, Feng Haiyan's parents made a special trip from Chengdu to Taipei for reunion; at Li Kele's restaurant, many Taiwanese businesspeople and young Taiwanese in Sichuan brought their Sichuan relatives and friends to gather and celebrate.

When speaking of their Mid-Autumn wishes, both used the same sentence: "We hope for a full moon and reunion. Whether on the island of Taiwan or in the land of abundance, as long as our hearts are together, that is reunion."

With hot pot and barbecue on one side and a Mid-Autumn full moon above, behind the blending of Sichuan and Taiwanese flavors lies the shared hope for reunion among compatriots on both sides of the strait.