China News Service, Taipei, March 25th, Title: Bringing the good taste of “mother’s family” to “mother-in-law’s family”

　　China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen

　　It is not easy to eat an authentic bowl of hot dry noodles in Taipei. Feng Chunli, the proprietress of a small shop located on Chang'an West Road in Zhongshan District, is from Wuhan. During meal time, diners waiting for their meals crowd the streets. Mainland Chinese delicacies such as hot and dry noodles, rice rolls, hot and sour noodles, and snail noodles are popular.

　　Hot dry noodles are the signature dish of Wuhan, a port city. Its low price, generous portion and uncomplicated process were originally designed to satisfy the hunger needs of dock workers. But in Taiwan, preparing the necessary ingredients such as alkaline water, sesame paste, and chili oil is a big test for Feng Chunli.

Recently, Feng Chunli, the proprietress of a hot dry noodle shop in Zhongshan District, Taipei City, was interviewed by reporters. It was a test for Feng Chunli to prepare all the ingredients needed for authentic hot dry noodles such as alkaline noodles, sesame paste, and spicy oil in Taiwan. Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen

　　"People in Wuhan call alkaline noodles, but Taiwanese people call them oil noodles." Feng Chunli thought that ordinary noodles were not tough enough, so he shopped around and settled on a noodle vendor in Wanhua District. The shop only needs 6 kilograms of noodles a day, and Feng Chunli purchases them together with other merchants. Feng Chunli also purchases sesame paste, pickled beans, etc. locally, and boils the chili oil himself. To suit local tastes, she also adds homemade minced meat as a topping.

　　In 2000, Feng Chunli started a family with his husband from Yunlin, Taiwan and worked hard in Guangdong. In 2016, she chose to live in Taiwan for the sake of her children's studies. The store opened four years later. In March last year, the walkway in front of the store was renovated, and the crowds were not as popular as before. A few months later, Feng Chunli introduced popular mainland noodles and noodles such as hot dry noodles to attract diners.

　　Feng Chunli lives in Linkou, New Taipei, and has a shop in downtown Taipei. Feng Chunli is constantly on the road every day. The store, which is less than 5 square meters, has no air conditioning. In summer, the maximum temperature is nearly 46 degrees Celsius, making it unstoppable. But this bowl of carbohydrate delicacy, which is not easy to find in Taipei, always attracts "suitors" to the store.

Recently, Feng Chunli, the proprietress of a hot dry noodle shop in Zhongshan District, Taipei City, was interviewed by reporters. The store is small in size and is adjacent to the promenade in the business district. During meal times, diners waiting for their meals crowd the street. Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen

　　Once, a Hong Kong businessman who had worked in Wuhan for many years passed by the door and was attracted by the photo of "hot dry noodles" and sat down. Before placing the order, he had doubts. When he finished the noodles covered in sesame sauce, the Hong Kong businessman couldn't help but miss the hot Jiangcheng.

　　Before opening the store in 2020, Feng Chunli had never been in the catering industry. From groping alone to a prosperous business in her small shop, she told a reporter from China News Service that many Taiwanese relatives and friends around her admired her hard work and willingness to work, "but I am actually a typical Wuhan woman, warm and hospitable, but also fierce and tenacious."

　　Like Feng Chunli, many mainland couples living in Taiwan choose to open stores with the theme of hometown delicacies and specialties to welcome customers. In Kaohsiung in the south, Zhan Xiuying from Qujing, Yunnan, opened a "Jingwan Yunnan Cold Noodles" shop in a residential area in Qianzhen District.

　　The store also opened in 2020. "Jing" means "mother's family" and "Wan" means "mother-in-law's family". Zhan Xiuying learned how to make cold noodles from her mother. This bowl of noodles conveys the longing for her hometown from Yunnan, who has lived in Kaohsiung for more than 20 years.

"Jingwan Yunnan Cold Noodles" is a small shop opened in a residential area in Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung. Recently, Zhan Xiuying, a store owner from Qujing, Yunnan, was interviewed by reporters. Her cold noodles are full of color, flavor and rich ingredients, combining traditional Yunnan recipes and local Taiwanese ingredients. Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen

　　The set meal with staple food and side dishes is a favorite choice among regular customers. Compared with Feng Chunli’s hot dry noodles, Zhan Xiuying’s set meal is more luxurious. Both cold noodles and rice noodles are available. Chicken thigh slices, cucumber shreds, carrot shreds, white sesame seeds, and peanut kernels are the flavor-enhancing essences, making this bowl of cold noodles full of color, flavor, and flavor. The evenly matched side dishes of fruits, vegetables and vegetables combine Yunnan and Taiwanese ingredients. Sliced ​​guava and dried tofu are local favorites.

　　The interior decoration and furnishings are mostly related to Yunnan, and there is a dazzling array of coffee beans, Pu'er tea, handicrafts, etc. At the entrance, Caiyunzhinan’s ethnic minority costumes attracted many customers to change their clothes and take photos. Zhan Xiuying told reporters that in the area where the shop is located, not many people have been to the mainland, but it can be seen that they are curious about the culture of different regions in the mainland.

　　"It was almost late at night when I moved to Kaohsiung more than 20 years ago. But the neighbors were still dressed and waited until I arrived, just to see me, the 'Mainland Bride.'" she recalled.

"Jingwan Yunnan Cold Noodles" is a small shop opened in a residential area in Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung. Recently, Zhan Xiuying, a store owner from Qujing, Yunnan, was interviewed by reporters. The interior decoration of its store is unique to Yunnan, and the ethnic costumes at the entrance attract many customers to change their clothes and take photos. Photo by China News Service reporter Yang Chengchen

　　Diners are attracted by the unique Yunnan flavor, and the restaurant's ratings on local food websites have been rising. Under Zhan Xiuying's recommendation, some people even made a special trip to Yunnan. "Young people are especially interested in the 'Eighteen Yunnan Monsters'," she said.

　　In 2016, Zhan Xiuying established the China Cross-Strait Family Exchange Association in Taiwan to promote cross-strait exchanges while also assisting many Taiwanese folks and children of mainland spouses to visit the mainland. "We (referring to Lu Pei) are the group of people most affected by cross-strait relations. Of course, we are also the group of people who most hope for a harmonious relationship between the 'natal family' and the 'law-in-law' family." (End)