一般來說，國宴可區分為友邦元首來臺進行國是訪問時，我國為歡迎友邦元首所舉辦的國宴，以及每四年舉辦一次的總統就職國宴，本研究則專以國是訪問的國宴展開研究。國宴作為舌尖上的外交，實應跳脫過往研究之框架，從更為宏觀的國際外交場域進行深入解析。本研究以檔案管理局所庋藏的國家檔案為核心展開研究，並以報紙所載各國元首訪臺報導相互援引，重新審視國宴所代表的時代意義。透過本研究可知，我國遲至1958年擬定《接待訪華外賓暫行辦法草案》後，國宴才有制度可循。其次，自1950至1990年代，我國籌辦國宴的核心單位包括：總統府、外交部，以及圓山大飯店。再者，國宴籌辦時間大約是一至兩個月，然囿於國際情勢詭譎多變，籌辦時間也經常隨之改變。此外，國宴菜單的擬定，除依據我國與友邦元首的口味而定，也與主廚是否專擅、食材之有無有關。最後，根據國家檔案所揭示，舉辦國宴確實所費不貲。因此在1970、1980年代，政府為因應兩次石油危機並展開各項重大建設之際，在顧及財政支出可能加劇的考量下，因而減少邀請友邦元首來訪。

Generally speaking, state banquets can be divided into two kinds: one for the state visit and the other for the inauguration of the President every four years. _is paper focuses on the former. The state banquets as diplomacy by food should be studied from a macro-perspective of international relations instead of the conventional focus on cuisine. By studying the archives of the National Archives Administration and pairing them up with the newspaper reports about state visits, this paper examines the historic significance of state banquets from a new perspective. There are a few major findings: with the enactment of The Interim Regulations of Receiving Foreign Dignitaries in 1958, state banquets in Taiwan were then institutionalized. Second, during the 1950s and 1990s, the governmental organs in charge of state banquets included Office of the President, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Grand Hotel. It usually took approximately one or two months to prepare for a state banquet. Nevertheless, due to the precarious international relations, the preparation sometimes must be adjusted to specific situations. In addition, the state banquet menus were determined with considerations of the taste of both heads of state, the chef ’s culinary specialties, and the availability of food materials. Last, according to the archives, the state banquets were expensive, therefore the administrations in the 1970s and 1980s, when facing the Oil Crises and dealing with the large spending on infrastructural projects, restrained themselves from inviting state visits in consideration of the national fiscal expenditure.