A- Main Mua Chee／阿綿麻糬 打動人心
A- Main Mua Chee
◎English translation: Chares Lin
A-Main Mua Chee (Sticky Rice cakes) is always filled with customers. Always browsing the variety of flavors, they select their favorite handmade treats. The shop is tucked away in Kaohsiung's Yancheng District and run by owner Tan Yi-jhen. Although the store has recently reopened, the loyal customer following continues to grow.
Seven years ago, Ms. Tan decided to return to her hometown of Kaohsiung in order to better care for her family. Instead of looking for a job, she decided she would work for herself and establish her own Mua Chee shop. Her decision to go into Mua Chee production was inspired by memories of her grandmother's delicious Mua Chee which she always made during Mid-Autumn festival. Ta Yi-jhen decided to name her shop A-Main, the name her father always used to fondly refer to her throughout her youth.
Ms. Tan explains the process of making Mua Che. She starts off by making the liquid rice milk, a process that can take up to 8 hours to complete. She then fills the delicious desserts with local, all natural ingredients, such as peanuts from Beigang, taros from Tachia, wild strawberries from Miaoli and Mangos from either Fangshan or Yuching. She insists on everything being handmade and always includes the best ingredients. A wonderful sweet aroma can be enjoyed as she slowly roasts the peanuts and sesames. She insists on carrying out every step of the production herself, in order to ensure her customers receive the best quality. She feels the nutritious and all natural desert should sell itself, so she created a slice of white irregular shaped Mua Chee to represent her business.
Over the years, Ms. Tan has mastered the skill of wrapping each Mua Chee within 3 seconds. This swift and great ability would come in handy at times like when a man from Hong Kong placed a rush order of 200 fruit flavored Mua Chee to take home to share with his friends and relatives. Although, she admits the hard work can sometimes be exhausting, she thoroughly enjoys what she does and gets a great sense of achievement from it.
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A-Main Mua Chee |
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Address: 198-27 Sinle St., Yancheng Dist., Kaohsiung City |
阿綿麻糬 打動人心
◎文／侯雅婷
隱身鹽埕區市場內的「阿綿麻糬」，手工現作的軟Ｑ麻糬和實在餡料，很受老主顧青睞，只聽見他們一邊選購麻糬，一邊嘀咕著前一陣子店沒營業，顯見對這個麻糬小吃很有感情。
老闆唐翊甄7年前為了照顧家人，從外地返鄉回到高雄，當時為就業躊躇不已，想起兒時阿嬤總在中秋節製作白麻糬沾糖粉，她決定做起麻糬生意，店名就用自小她父親對她的暱稱「阿綿」。她談起，麻糬從純米漿開始製作，歷時約8小時才完成，內餡選用台灣在地農產品，如北港花生、大甲芋頭和萬丹紅豆、苗栗高山草莓、枋山和玉井的芒果，不僅使用好食材，製作過程也不假手他人。另外，芝麻內餡也按步就班地炒芝麻而得，因此帶有苦甘的特色，阿綿麻糬物料講求天然，在炙熱的夏天得小心保存。
如同阿綿麻糬商標是顆不規則形的白色麻糬，唐翊甄指出這是手作麻糬呈現自然形狀，長期下來，她練就了包一顆麻糬僅需3秒內的時間，唐翊甄也開心地分享，很多香港客人會來買麻糬，曾有位香港客人打包200顆水果大福，帶回分享給親友。
儘管喊累，但是看到自己的麻糬深受肯定，唐翊甄還是有滿滿的成就感。
Guang-de's Banana Waffles
◎English translation: Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos by Lu Yi-lu
Guangde produces one of Kaohsiung's most popular desserts which are literally peddled from the backseat of a bicycle. The sweet treat has been developed by its namesake owner and pastry chef Mr. Jhang Guangde. The popular pastry is a combination of waffle and crepe and filled with banana and marshmallow. They are then baked in a waffle iron, which has been installed on the back of his bicycle. The inspiration to sell the desert off back of his bike came when his popularity increased and he received invitations to sell his treats at several exhibitions. Not only did it make transport easier, but people also began to seek out the "banana waffle guy with the bike".
The banana waffles are made from a Japanese waffle batter. Mr. Jhang first splits the banana-marshmallow combination, drizzles them with sweet, condensed milk and chocolate sauce and coming off the iron, it is quickly folded into a wrap and left to set. The waffles are served piping hot; however it is suggested to wait 3 to 5 minutes so the banana flavor is further accentuated and the multi-layered dessert becomes crispy like an ice cream cone. Mr. Jhang explains how cooked fruit will release a full-bodied sweetness and aroma. Finally, the subtle marshmallow flavor contributes to the texture and binds it all together.
For three years Mr. Jhang worked in Japan as a baker. When he returned to Taiwan, he hoped to integrate local traditions and culture into his business, but still keep it relevant and modern. He drew his inspiration for his portable waffle stand, from a time when vendors would peddle through the streets and alleys of Kaohsiung and transport their goods on the back of their bicycles.
His modernized version of this historical phenomenon soon became a hit with the locals.
Even though he sells his wares off the back a bicycle, Mr. Jheng ensures his customers get the finest ingredients. He does not use any artificial flavoring or additives. He also only uses wild bananas from Taidong County because they are comprised ofless water and are more flavorful when cooked. His batter is made with French butter brand Beurre d'Isigny and vanilla extracted from fresh pods. He does not use baking powder, because it can cause gas in some people. He also hopes his customers will also identify with his vision of using all-natural, flavorful ingredients, that won't create any side effects.
廣德家 香蕉煎餅
◎文／侯雅婷
◎攝影／盧怡如
許多人鍾情「廣德家」香蕉煎餅，老闆張廣德談起受邀至各展場擺攤，總是以一輛腳踏車後座的作業平台製出美味的香蕉煎餅，成了廣德家的正字標記。
廣德家「香蕉煎餅」，在日式煎餅的餅皮上，放上對切剖半的香蕉和一顆棉花糖，淋上煉奶和巧克力醬後，迅速地將餅皮包覆著餡料，接著烘焙片刻，香蕉鬆餅就出爐了，但別心急，靜待3～5分鐘使煎餅外皮變得酥脆，品嚐起來，先是嚐到煎餅脆脆的口感，再來是香蕉加熱後，把香蕉本身的香甜完全釋放出來，轉換為甜而不膩的軟嫩口感，成了香蕉煎餅最純正的甜味來源，而棉花糖的妙用則是將煎餅和香蕉的香氣、口感串連在一起，豐富香蕉煎餅的層次。
曾在日本製作麵包3年的張廣德談起，台灣傳統有許多美好的事物，應該予以發揚光大，如過去街頭巷尾常可見一台腳踏車上賣好多東西，啟發他在腳踏車後座製作香蕉煎餅，結果一炮而紅。縱使是擺攤販售甜點，但張廣德使用好的原物料，製成最健康也最美味的成品。他的香蕉煎餅堅持不使用香料等人工添加物，並選用水份少且口感Ｑ的台東山蕉、法國的伊斯尼奶油，以及香草莢提煉出的香草調味料。他選用不須添加發粉的煎餅，吃了不會衍生胃脹氣。張廣德說，他希望讓消費者了解天然的原物料，也可以製成美味的產品，享受對身體沒有負擔的美味。