Xialun Tuo Bo Shu Charcoal Grilled Sweet Potatoes Introduction
Cai You-tian (born in 1934) was a farmer who sold sweet potato vines (seedlings) to other farmers for planting. The Cai brothers did not want to carry on the family trade; the eldest brother, Cai Zhen-cun (born in 1964), moved to the north to open a restaurant, while the second brother, Cai Zhen-xiong (born in 1965), opened a supermarket in Kouhu. The restaurant was not successful and eventually closed down. Cai Zhen-cun reminisced about the sweet potatoes from his childhood and started selling them at the Linjiang Traditional Market, with supplies provided by his brother Cai Zhen-xiong who remained in their hometown. Surprisingly, the business thrived, but the profits were not high. After selling sweet potatoes for some time, they switched to selling charcoal-grilled sweet potatoes, which became a hit and established a well-known brand. "Tu Bo Shu Charcoal-Grilled Sweet Potatoes" is a registered trademark. Cai Zhen-xiong not only supplied his brother with sweet potatoes for his charcoal grilling business but also became a supplier for more than ten charcoal-grilled sweet potato vendors in the northern region. In 2003, Cai Zhen-xiong decided to close the supermarket business and focus on supplying sweet potatoes while also starting to sell charcoal-grilled sweet potatoes himself, obtaining his brother’s agreement to operate under the name "Tu Bo Shu Charcoal-Grilled Sweet Potatoes," and made a name for himself in the Xialun area. Cai Zhen-xiong sources his sweet potatoes from two locations; primarily from Yunlin, but when the supply is low in September and October, he purchases from mountainous areas in Central Taiwan, where they are planted in March and April and harvested right in time for September and October.
