Shrimp vendor Chou Chih-feng (
"It is merely male chauvinism to say intellectuals should keep away from culinary matters," said Chou, challenging one of Confucius' well-known precepts.
The 34-year-old Chou was elected as president of the Association of Tainan Yanping Traditional Dainty Snacks this year.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Despite his young age, Chou has already become the owner of three immensely popular shrimp roll restaurants in Tainan and Kaohsiung. During weekends and holidays, Chou's main restaurant in Tainan usually draws around 4,000 customers a day.
"Almost all visitors to Tainan's historic sites would not miss my shrimp rolls. Shrimp rolls, bean jelly and candied fruit together are called Anping's three treasures," Chou said.
After having graduating from Tainan's top boys' high school and Feng Chia University's Department of Cooperative Economics, Chou didn't hesitate when deciding to inherit his father's shrimp-roll stall in 1995.
"I have helped my parents with their food stall since I was little. I washed dishes and helped with the chores," Chou said.
Even after Chou entered university in Taichung, he still went home to help his parents with their food stall whenever possible.
"I helped my parents out of my own will. I simply felt they worked so hard and that I ought to help them," he said.
Chou's father was a chef specializing in organizing banquets. He also ran a small food stall of his own, which sold a variety of snacks, including shrimp rolls.
Chou said when his father started his own business, he often felt embarrassed when his friends visit because his father's food stall was kind of shabby.
"In the 1960s, the economic situation in Taiwan was still very poor. My father could only afford to put two little shrimps in every shrimp roll at that time," Chou said.
Nevertheless, his father's shrimp roll gradually built up its reputation and attracted gourmets.
"In 1989, my father decided to open a stall that would sell only shrimp rolls," Chou said.
To improve the flavor of his rolls, Chou's father mixed shrimp, green onions, celery and pork as the stuffing. His father used the membranes that cover pigs' organs as the coating of his shrimp rolls.
The rolls would then be powdered with flour along with Chou's father's exclusive seasoning. With frying, the shrimp rolls turned golden and crispy. The rolls can then be eaten with soy sauce and wasabi.
"In each mouthful, you can taste the flavor of shrimp and chew the juicy stuffing," Chou said.
As his restaurants are often packed with customers, Chou and his brother designed a computer system for the restaurants.
When talking about how to promote traditional snacks, Chou noted the importance of the furnishing of food stalls and having a clean environment.
"Many famous food stalls simply neglect hygiene problems. The food is wonderful but the stalls are dirty," Chou said.
While a strong promoter of Tainan's traditional snacks, Chou is not trapped by a passion for the past.
"Things are changing. As time goes by, we also need to change the flavor of traditional snacks to meet the needs of the new generation," he said.
To boost sales, Chou recently spent more than NT$1 million purchasing several sets of advanced freezers. Now customers can order his frozen shrimp rolls in convenience stores across the nation.
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