A young baker in Kaohsiung last month opened a bakery that links its bread prices to the euro, meaning that prices change from day to day accor-ding to the fluctuations of the euro.
The bakery’s owner is Wu Tzu-ching, a 24-year-old apprentice of 2010 Masters de la Boulangerie winner Wu Pao-chun. The younger Wu and his associate Wang Peng-chieh opened the Boulangerie Shakespeare on Sept. 8 on Kaohsiung’s Kuanghua Road. The store sells around 30 baguettes per day at about 1.5 euros, which equates to about NT$54. The price changes from day to day and is quoted according to the value of the euro listed at the neighboring branch of the Taiwan Cooperative Bank.
Wu said that the French government mandates that the price of a baguette mustn’t exceed two euros, and government officials inspect bakeries so the rule is closely observed. After returning to Taiwan he decided to follow the same policy and sell bread in Kaohsiung at the same price as in Paris.
PHOTO: HUANG HSU-LEI
照片：自由時報記者黃旭磊
In 2007 Wu represented Taiwan at an international bakery competition in Shizuoka, Japan. After receiving tutelage from Wu Pao-chun, he managed to see off competition from a Japanese entrant to claim second prize behind the French contingent. Wu has visited Paris three times, where he found a bookstore called Librairie Shakespeare on the banks of the Seine. The store’s relaxing atmosphere inspired him to use its name for his own bakery.
Wu and Wang borrowed over NT$5 million to set up the bakery and they often worry about being able to make the repayments, but he feels much better at 6pm when customers line up along Kuanghua Road to buy their freshly baked bread.
(LIBERTY TIMES, TRANSLATED BY TAIJING WU)
PHOTO: HUANG HSU-LEI
照片：自由時報記者黃旭磊
高雄市一位年輕麵包師傅上個月開了一家以歐元計價的麵包店，因此香噴噴的麵包每天價格不一，會隨著歐元的匯率而波動。
世界麵包比賽冠軍吳寶春的二十四歲徒弟武子靖，及合夥人王鵬傑，九月八日於高雄市光華路開設莎士比亞烘焙坊。店中法國麵包每天熱賣三十幾條，採歐元計價，約一點五歐元，折合台幣約五十四元，價格每天不同，且匯率依照隔壁合作金庫牌價變動。
武子靖說，法國政府規定條狀麵包不能超過二歐元，官員常上街頭查價，因此店家都守規矩。回國後他決定與當地同步政策，參考巴黎的麵包價在高雄販賣。
武子靖二零零七年代表台灣到日本靜岡參加國際技能競賽，出國前接受吳寶春指導，擊敗日本對手獲得第二，僅次於法國隊。他曾三度到巴黎，喜歡塞納河旁「莎士比亞書店」典雅休閒氣氛，故以此命名自己的麵包店。
新店貸款五百多萬元，他與合夥人王鵬傑擔心還不清。但是晚上六點蜂巢麵包出爐，人潮常排到光華路旁，他說，營業額「放心多了」。
（自由時報記者黃旭磊）
US President Donald Trump has renewed his ambition to take control of Greenland for national security reasons and questioned whether Denmark has any legal right to the Arctic island. The debate has revived scrutiny of how Greenland became part of Denmark, its current self-rule and path to independence, and Washington’s military footprint. HOW DID DENMARK GET GREENLAND? Greenland was inhabited by Inuit peoples from Asia and North America intermittently from around 2,500 BC. Around 985 AD, Vikings led by Erik the Red settled in southern Greenland, farming and building churches. Around the same time, ancestors of today’s Inuit arrived, living as hunters
A: In its latest annual travel guide, Bloomberg recommended two restaurants in Taipei: Golden Pig barbeque from South Korea and two-Michelin-star restaurant A. B: Also, tourists should definitely try Taiwanese cuisine while they’re here. Mountain & Sea House, Shin Yeh Taiwanese Cuisine, and Fujin Tree Taiwanese Cuisine & Champagne are good options. A: For local snacks, Fu Hang Soy Milk, Fu-Ba-Wang Pigs’ Knuckles Restaurant, and Wang Ji Rice Dumplings are all very popular. B: And the gold medalists of the 2025 Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival — Yun Shui Kitchen, The Howard Plaza Hotel Taipei, and Come N’ Eat
A: Bloomberg just released its annual travel guide, titled “25 Best Places to Travel in 2026.” What were the best Asian destinations? B: There were actually six Asian hotspots: Taiwan’s Taipei, Malaysia’s Penang, Kazakhstan’s Almaty, Indonesia’s Rote Island, India’s Tiger Reserves, and Oman. A: With its mix of traditional food and modern cuisine, Taipei has become a rising food capital in Asia. B: As Bloomberg reported, “Taiwan is a place that bubbles up in culinary conversation because of its famed beverage, bubble tea, and its early adoption of modern night markets.” A: And Din Tai Fung has now
Owls have long fascinated people with their distinctive appearance and mysterious habits. These nocturnal birds possess large, round eyes and a flat facial disc. Their feathers come in shades of brown, gray, or white, helping them blend easily into the darkness. The most remarkable trait of owls is that they can turn their heads without damaging blood vessels. Contrary to popular belief, they can only rotate their heads up to 270 degrees, not 360 degrees. Owls have 14 cervical vertebrae, which is twice as many as humans. This special physical structure compensates for their inability to move their eyes within their
RSS