VERSE Vol. 20 The nameless snacks of life

There is a nameless snack like this in everyone's memory. When I was a child, whenever there was a ringing bell outside my house, my mother would go to the kitchen to get a bowl and take me out to buy beancurd. Abei, the tofu pudding seller, lifted the lid of a tin-made bucket and picked up the white tofu puddings. He put them in a bowl and poured a spoonful of Brown sugar water on them. The sweet smell spread in the air. The tofu pudding stall is unknown, but the sounds, sights and smells at that time made the 15 yuan bowl of dou pudding an irreplaceable delicacy in this life, and will be remembered more firmly than any famous store. In 2022, Tainan, which is famous for its snacks, was included in the "Michelin Guide" for the first time, with four "unknown" snacks selected as "Bib Gourmand". As soon as the list was announced, not only the media were busy checking which "unnamed" restaurant it was - because there are so many unknown beef soups, mutton soups, milkfish soup and salty porridge in Tainan; at the same time, it also caused heated discussions among netizens: " "Everyone named Wuming is very powerful", "Wuming Catering Group may become the biggest winner", "Wuming Catering plans to be on the shelves in the next three years". Why would these snacks be nameless rather than named? What is the charm of nameless snacks? Following these questions, the VERSE editorial department formed a nameless snack island expedition team. The troops were divided into multiple groups and had a round of food in the north, middle, south and east. This was an arduous process, and many nameless snacks did not want to be interviewed for various reasons. , the editorial department must visit the thatched cottage three times and gradually establish friendship. But we have to say sincerely that the 37 nameless snacks included in this issue are all really delicious (the VERSE team personally absorbed a lot of calories and patted their stomachs to prove it). "The nameless snacks that are constantly in circulation 24 hours a day" eat from day to night and visit five different types of nameless snacks. In addition to talking about how to cook delicious food, they also talk about the life stories behind the snack craftsmen; "My Nameless Snacks" starts with By regional classification, 11 celebrities and experts were invited to recommend a list of unknown snacks in pockets; "When We Are Discussing Snacks" interviewed four famous food experts to talk about the meaning of snacks to them. The last two articles discuss the impact that international catering reviews have had on local snacks since they came to Taiwan. As generations change, what will the new generation of snack shops look like to meet contemporary challenges? This issue of "Long Interview" interviews Shen Fangzheng, CEO of Laoye Hotel Group - he is also a researcher who loves Taiwanese snacks. He gave the best explanation for this cover story: "'Nameless Snacks' are the best in snack culture. One ring. Most of the original snacks have no names. " We use time as the longitude and region as the latitude, trying to intersect the meaning of unknown snacks in the context of food. Only then did I discover that nameless snacks not only represent the ultimate in Taiwanese snack culture, but also the most primitive original intention in food culture. They were born out of people's livelihood needs. The purpose is not to make a lot of money, but to concentrate on cooking affordable and delicious food and serving the people. Community, feeding the surrounding neighbors, having a store name or not is not necessary. Behind the namelessness, there are also life stories with various tastes, ups and downs. It is not only a choice for every store owner to "live life", with ordinary but touching stories of ordinary people in the market; it is also a memory coordinate for us diners on the map of life: this is the passion fruit that we want to drink after piano practice. Fruit smoothies, sugar cakes, QQ balls that I bought with my mother after school, and bicycle coffee that I drank with my first love... They are all one of the many nameless snacks, but they are in our memory. Unique name and memory. Which is the nameless snack in your life?