MINI0946

The Sensation of Time in a Bite of a Bread

Chen's.daily baker

這間麵包店就在我家附近,在這個年代的台南,沒有經營咖啡廳,卻開始研究酸種歐式麵包並開店的人沒有幾位,還跟家人提出改變自宅車庫,這是一間在老巷弄中的麵包店「阜東氏號所」

「年青真好!」我們輕易地說出。一星期才營業三至四天,讓人以為這是享受生活的模式,但這裡卻是一個人的麵包店。在Instagram裡發佈營業時間、麵包品項、參加市集、預訂麵包;一個人一雙手,烤箱再多,能出爐的麵包,每日大約就是八十個。

吃麵包的文化,台灣跟香港有明顯的不同,尤其在南部。台南人的早餐是魚粥,午餐可以吃糭子、三餸飯,晚餐是小火鍋;喝咖啡的人倒也不少,不像我,早、午、晚和下午茶都可以是麵包。從飲食文化來看時間,是的,台灣人的確較為閒息,但我也愛雞尾包、丹麥條和蛋撻那種下課後但又還沒到晚餐的小點心,邊走邊吃。在台南,我沒見過這樣邊走邊吃麵包的人們。

These days in Tainan, there are only very few people who would invest their passion into studying and making artisan European sourdough bread, at the same time just to open a bakery instead of a more profitable cafe.  This bakery is near my home, located in a little alleyway.  The chef proposed her idea to her family of wanting to turn her garage into a bakery, then she had this “Chens Dailybaker  settled.

This Fudong’s House bakery only operates for three to four days a week, which easily gives people an impression that this is a new way for the young to enjoy life.  However this “house” is operated only by the chef herself, imagine the workload from creating and managing posts on social media, putting a list of fresh-from-oven schedules, participating in markets, taking orders from customers via different channels, plus the most important thing, the core of this business, is to make roughly 80 pieces of bread each day to sustain the sale with her both hands. 

The differences between Taiwan, especially in the south, and Hong Kong on such an artisan bread appreciating culture is very much obvious.  Traditional breakfast for Tainan people usually is fish porridge, for lunch could be sticky rice dumplings, or various savoury dishes served with rice, and dinner could be a mini hot pot, but sure that there are many coffee drinkers.  On the contrary, I would have bread for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner!  From the perspective of food culture, to look at the way people spend their time in a day, Taiwanese people are more leisurely, which is no doubt.  Anyhow In Tainan, I have never seen people munching bread or small pastry while walking on the street, where I love to have some small bites such as Cocktail Bun, Danish Finger or an Egg Tart after class, they are like a perfect snack before dinner while I am on my way home.  

「你的麵包店只有三個位置。」選好麵包,我找個位置坐下。

「這是我從小到大的家。」店長兼麵包師單單邊切麵包邊說。

這是一間位於傳統菜市場旁的舊公寓地下,面向巷弄的馬路,騎車經過的長輩由好奇到成為顧客的也不少。經營差不多一年,她還是一個人在烤箱和麵包之間揮灑著汗水,單單倒沒認真想過為何能成為一間社區麵包店。

「是嗎?我算是社區麵包店嗎?」放下為我切好的麵包,她又回去檢查烤箱裡的麵包。

「你的麵包店打破我對麵包店的想像,能『堂食』麵包,還可以預訂麵包,免得在開店後兩小時便賣完。」我想不到比「堂食」更好的形容詞。然後她微笑回應: 「是嗎是嗎。」

有次我在家辦市集,單單也有來賣麵包,我們已經是朋友,但每次當我嘗試了解她的經營術時,也沒法得到可靠的方程式。她參加過的市集,沒有一次能撐到完場,麵包很快便賣光。我跟她說要不要回家再烤,分批「出爐」,她總是笑笑:「哦哦哦。」為了新鮮,她總是不管四季、早上5時起床烤麵包,冬天可能要更早,因為氣溫、濕度都會影響發酵的速度。

“Your bakery has only three seats.” After choosing the bread, I find a place to sit down.

“This is my home from childhood.” The chef as known as the boss, Shan Shan told me while slicing the bread.

The bakery is on the ground floor of an old building next to a traditional wet market, where it hides in an alleyway facing the main road. Many of her customers are elders riding by, who are curious at first about this little shop.  Having been in business for almost a year, she was still alone, sweating between the oven and the bread, but she didn’t really think about why her shop could become a community bakery.

“Oh Really? Is my shop a community bakery?” After putting down the bread that she sliced for me, she went back to check her babies in the oven.

“Your shop transformed my impression of an ordinary bakery. You set up a ‘dine-in’ corner, and you suggested your customers to order in advance, so that your pieces of bread will not be sold out two hours after opening.” I could not think of a better word than “dine-in” in this case, then she smiled at me “Really?”

There was a time I held a market at home, I invited Shan Shan to sell her bread there.  Every time I try to understand her business skills, I could not quite get her formula even though we have been friends.  She had participated in a lot of markets, but none of them could last till the end because her bread sold out too quickly that she had nothing left to sell.  I asked her if she wanted to go back and bake again in batches, but she always just smiles back “Oh ok ok.”  In order to maintain and pursue freshness, she always wakes up at 5 in the morning to start baking regardless of the four seasons.  It will even be earlier in Winter because the temperature and humidity will affect the fermentation speed.

我不能解釋欣賞和支持「阜東氏號所」的理由,因為我相信身體的感知比起言語來得更直接;但是對於在營業時間內早早完售、不慌不忙地跟客人聊天,以及慢慢地等待預訂客人來付款取麵包(是的,預訂不用先付款),這種生活態度確實有點衝擊到我對於時間和空間運用的認知。

還是先吃一口麵包再說,我不禁脫口而出:「相當紮實。」

「紮實,我也想生活更紮實,不像棉花糖如風般沒內涵。」所以我想到,不如就讓我用身體感受時間的流逝,經歷生活中的閒息,咬一口麵包突破對時間的傳統觀念。

「生活模式就是讓身心帶領我們去探險吧!」我又自言自語。就像開一間只有三個座位的堂食麵包店,或者不需要明確地被人認同,只需要去實踐和經歷。

There is no word I can find to explain the reasons for admiring and supporting the “Fudong’s House”, as I believe that action speaks louder.  One thing on the other hand, which has a great impact on my perception and understanding on the use of time and space is that, her cheerful and carefree attitude towards selling out early within business hours, chatting with customers leisurely, and waiting patiently for customers to come for collecting and paying for the bread they ordered. (Yes surprising isn’t it? Customers need not pay when they place their order!) 

Ah well, let me have a bite first.  “It’s quite firm.” I couldn’t help but burst out to her.

“Hmm..firm, I also want a firmer life with more solidity, I don’t want to be a cotton candy that has no weight and connotation like a breeze.” So this makes me think, why not experience the leisure in life through my body to feel the passage of moments?  Just take a bite of bread to break through our traditional mindset on what is time.

Like opening a dine-in bakery with only three seats, or not necessarily to be well recognized by the public, what you need are to put thoughts into practice and fully experience them in reality.  “The satisfying way of living is to let our heart lead us to adventure!” I am muttering to myself again. 

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