Jiufen Food Mystery Store Introduction
At this place, you can always hear the vibrant music of the singer Wu Bai while enjoying steaming stinky tofu. You might suddenly ask, "Boss! Why is your store called 'Shimi Store'?" Jiufen Shimi Store is the first stinky tofu shop in Jiufen. The walls of the interior are adorned with dozens of Taiwanese proverbs to help customers understand the wisdom of the Taiwanese people. The wooden couplet on the wall, "Taste the world's delicacies, understand Taiwan's wisdom," is the motivation behind the shop's name. The owner wanted to post these proverbs in the store because he has been interested in riddles and proverbs since childhood, often quoting a saying and even purchasing books to study proverb dictionaries, eventually turning his store into a "riddle classroom." Besides proverbs, the owner's storytelling is also captivating, as he often engages deeply with customers, sharing various anecdotes and being well-versed in the unique proverbs of the Jiufen area. The owner expresses that modern people living in a technological and commercial society have little chance to encounter the culture and wisdom of Taiwan—its proverbs. Therefore, he aims to let everyone know the legacies left by their ancestors and understand their meanings. Another purpose is to encourage dining guests to guess or discuss the meanings, creating topics of conversation while reminiscing about the Taiwanese proverbs that their grandparents used to say effortlessly.
