Today we visited Tainan. Early in the morning we set out in our teams to go on a sort of scavenger hunt for knowledge. After a lottery like drawing session our groups were assigned on a mission to visit four distinct and different stores or temples. The first stop we made was at a street side tea house. The tea was a dark and slightly bitter tea that was used to heal the body. I enjoyed the texture of the tea and the refreshing cool drink was very welcome in the hot street, but the bitter taste left quite a dry aftertaste. Later on the bus we expereinced this bitter tea without any sugar added. It was extremely dry. I could feel the burning and rapid healing coat the inside of my mouth and toung before stubbornly rolling down my throat.

We also visited a da-a- noodle house. The ancient recipe from 1895 was perfected through the generations as the restaurant prospered. The taste of such a reliable recipe represented the sustainability of the noodle culture that all the generations of da a noodle chefs practiced.

From the various stops at these streetside vendors I realized how unique Tainan food was. I also found a better understanding for the importance of culture and the maintainance of such a culture through generations.