Lai Lai Residence - Taomi Academy Introduction
Creating a Space for the Inheritance of Taiwan's Traditional Rice Food Culture: "Taomi Salt" Education Center is a brick house with red tiles, quietly nestled in the Taomi community for nearly half a century. Chen Guoming, who has been operating the Li Lai Ju handmade udon restaurant in Taichung City for 20 years, was appointed in 2011 as a part-time assistant professor and professional technical teacher in the Department of Tourism, Leisure, and Hospitality Management at National Chi Nan University. He fell in love with the wonderful land of Puli. In early December 2012, with the guidance of villagers, Teacher Guoming discovered this dilapidated old house located at No. 1 Zhonggua Road, Taomi Village. Teacher Guoming recalls the situation at that time: “The destruction of the old house can't be described in just a few words; not only did it lack doors and windows, but the interior was cluttered with scattered items. Due to severe roof leaks, weeds and small trees spread everywhere inside. The cement ground in the courtyard had been taken over by weeds; the low brick wall in the back collapsed, making it impossible to enter or exit; the awning on the side also completely fell down. At that time, friends advised me that the best option was to tear it down and rebuild!" Now, as we stand in front of the old house and examine its current appearance, it is hard to connect with Teacher Guoming's memories. It is evident that he has devoted tremendous effort to restoring the old house of Taomi Salt. Leading the Way in the Inheritance of Handmade Udon Noodle Techniques: In addition to providing reservation-based experiential services daily, Teacher Guoming is also the first person to publicly teach the traditional methods of making Taiwanese handmade udon noodles. Over the past decade, countless free udon noodle-making classes have spread across Taiwan's main island; just at Hualien Feng Tian Train Station's "Nzi Ren's Shop - Wu Wei House," he has conducted two sessions of volunteer teaching. The brick house has become a base for the transmission and education of traditional rice food culture. What does a rural landscape look like? Brick houses, red-tiled roofs, open courtyards, old stoves for burning wood, the fragrance of flowers in every season, and the laughter and chatter of residents - this is the daily life at Taomi Salt. A small rice paddy is set up in front of the Taomi Salt; "When I was a child, the rice paddy in front of my home was the liveliest place! Besides being a playground for my six siblings and me, we would dry rice in spring and autumn, dry Mino melons in the height of summer, and dry radishes before the New Year..." These are cherished memories from Teacher Guoming's childhood. Since 2014, Taomi Salt has frequently invited community partners to hold dining tables and initiate market activities in this small rice paddy, bringing along students from Chi Nan University to share his expertise and joy. Teacher Guoming, born in a rural Sanheyuan, has a deep affection for old houses. The various rice dishes made during festivals, such as red turtle cake, taro cake, radish cake, zongzi, and steamed buns, are joyous memories spent alongside his mother and are significant reasons for the establishment of Taomi Salt. Teacher Guoming smiles and says, “If these traditional snacks that were often seen during Taiwan's festivals are not passed down and recorded, one day they will become a world heritage - forgotten treasures!” Creating a space for learning about Taiwan's traditional rice food culture has become an important mission for Teacher Guoming in his future life. Handmade Udon Noodle Production Experience and Dining in the Courtyard: In addition to the production of traditional Taiwanese rice dishes, continuing the operation of Li Lai Ju restaurant for 20 years, the two-hour handmade udon noodle production experience is one of the main services of Taomi Salt. Using the pure water from Ailan Spring, which is utilized to brew Puli Shaoxing wine, and flour, the process includes kneading the dough, foot-treading, rolling, and cutting the noodles, creating a fresh and chewy noodle that combines time, memory, and effort, sure to refresh your perception of noodles. If you have ample time, you can stay in the old house for a night to gain deeper learning through a 15-hour noodle-making experience. Currently, the experiential activities at the "Taomi Salt" Education Center also include the making of traditional rice dishes (rice cakes), taro balls, sweet potato balls, and coffee roasting experiences; seasonal activities include picking sweet dragon bamboo, roselle flowers, and agricultural experiences at coffee plantations. Guests are warmly invited to gather friends and join in making reservations for the "Dining Table in the Courtyard" activity. "Dining Table in the Courtyard" is a hands-on cooking event, making it the best choice for tasting Puli's local flavors; the four-hour experience comprises handmade noodle production, guidance through the Paper Church park area, visits to an ecological village coffee farm, making roselle flower buns, and cooking on an old stove, all of which are deeply loved by visitors.
