Dec 18th, 2024 Wednesday Cloudy
One joy to look forward to everyday while we were in Taiwan, was to wake up and enjoy a hearty, delicious and nutritious breakfast.
The buffet breakfasts at hotels in Taichung and Chiayi were decent, and filled us for the day. Because we were staying in Taipei for ten nights, we decided to venture out and explore different spots on our own.
The possibilities were abundant, from traditional style noodle soup, steamed buns, and minced pork over rice to more Western style sandwiches (with a Taiwanese twist, such as taro paste and pork floss filling), egg crepes, and pancakes. Honestly, our challenge was to decide on ONE option since there were too many, and one seemed just as yummy as another 😛
Given the context, it was still a pleasant surprise when we came across a small diner, selling Yilan-style rice noodle soup and purple rice balls. This place was literally a hole (or rather, a window) on the wall, where the owner took orders and got the food ready on the spot. Most people ordered to go, as there were only three seats in front and nowhere to sit inside.
Tempted as I was to order a noodle soup AND a rice ball as I was sure to love both, I peeked at the serving size and wisely picked only a smoked duck rice noodle soup. My husband got the tripe rice ball. Needless to say, both were superb – flavorful and packed with a variety of ingredients for different textures, slightly spicy yet refreshing. I am still drooling right now as I am recalling that meal.
It only opens for breakfast five days a week, closing between 1pm and 2pm. Located in a street corner, there always seems to be a line – handmade rice balls, regardless of the skill level of the maker, take some time. Interestingly, all the people in the line were very understanding. No one showed any sign of impatience, even though they appeared to be on their way to school/work. Starting the day with a made-to-order breakfast seems like a ritual that many Taiwanese observe.
I could not help wondering, why the owner has to prepare the rice balls there instead of ahead of time? After all, there are only six options on the menu.
Then it dawned on me as I was watching him carefully fold in every bit of filling, adjust the spiciness at the customer’s request, then seal the rice ball and press it a few times with his hands to help it hold together, before handing it out. It was soothing and satisfying to see someone else put in this much care to serve your food, and certainly reassuring to know that you have witnessed every step in the process, and nothing questionable is in your bite.
Of course, all this handmade work must be tiring and highly repetitive. And this is a small, albeit successful business, so likely not super profitable. I imagine the business owner would probably have an easier life doing something else, or selling manufactured, pre-packaged food. He would then not need to stand six hours a day, doing mental math and repeating the same procedure over and over again, while being courteous towards every customer.
Nevertheless, if we all want to live in an easy way, we would rely on the machines to do the work for us, and we have to be content with whatever products a soulless machine can fabricate according to preset specifications. We consume, but not savor. And we complain that machines are taking over our jobs.
Or we do not shy away from the hard, delicate work tied to living our life (e.g. cooking, eating), because we see meaning and value irreplaceable by machines. And we show equal appreciation towards others who take on the same work.
Machines have no free will. The choice is entirely ours.