人對於某些事物，可能透過口耳相傳，或是媒體的宣導之下，往往會有刻板印象，像是我，對於各地特產的印象就是，淡水的鐵蛋，大溪的豆乾，新竹的貢丸及米粉，台中的太陽餅，日月潭的紅茶，花蓮的麻糬，金門的高粱酒，等等不勝枚舉，不過，隨著交通便利，要買到各地的特產，已經不是難事了，儘管在住家附近的便利超商，也有可能買到某地的特產品。
這是一場主打城鄉物產的展覽，位在百貨商場內，集結來自全台 17 個縣市、63 個城鄉鎮區、共 69 個品牌，呼應從農場到餐桌的趨勢，利用鄉鎮的農作物，製作出不一樣的在地特產，從而變成餐桌上的美食，或者是讓人耳目一亮的伴手禮，我想，這可能也是政策鼓勵青年返鄉就業的成果展現，年輕人落地農村之後，必會使用新技術，帶進新思維，從而產生新的火花。
首先，儘管展場的人不算多，每個攤位的員工都很主動的提供試吃品，我試吃了各式果乾，果乾比較沒有特別之處，也很常見，試喝了在地酒莊所釀製的酒，某些酒款有點特色，還看到酒展的常客，一間專賣起司的品牌，試喝了百合養生飲，口感還蠻特別的，還試喝了帶著酒香的咖啡，這款產品我蠻喜歡的，有一家攤位提供洛神風味的米餅，也蠻特別的。
因為，逛展場的人並不算多，所以，我和攤位的互動比較深入一些，和幾個顧攤位的員工聊了一下，他們有一些是在地老品牌，做產品轉型的嘗試，有一些就是年輕人創業的品牌，難怪，產品都很有特色，他們私下表示，很多同業都失敗了，能夠到這個展場的都是經過市場考驗下的幸運兒，哈，我還是乖乖做牛馬好了。
People often develop stereotypes about certain things through word of mouth or media influence. For example, when I think of local specialties in Taiwan, a whole list immediately comes to mind: Tamsui’s iron eggs, Daxi’s dried tofu, Hsinchu’s pork meatballs and rice noodles, Taichung’s sun cakes, Sun Moon Lake’s black tea, Hualien’s mochi, Kinmen’s kaoliang liquor… and the list goes on. But with today’s convenient transportation and logistics, it’s no longer difficult to buy specialties from different regions. You can probably even find products from a certain town at a convenience store near your home.
This exhibition focuses on urban and rural local products. It’s held inside a department store and brings together 69 brands from 63 towns across 17 counties and cities in Taiwan. It follows the “farm to table” trend by using local agricultural products to create unique regional specialties—turning them into dishes on the dining table or eye-catching souvenirs. I think this might also reflect the results of government policies encouraging young people to return to their hometowns to work. When young people settle back in rural areas, they bring in new technologies and fresh ideas, which can spark new creativity.
Even though there weren’t that many visitors at the exhibition, the staff at each booth were very proactive in offering samples. I tried various kinds of dried fruit—nothing too special since dried fruit is quite common. I also sampled some locally brewed wines from regional wineries; a few of them were quite distinctive. I even saw a familiar cheese brand that often appears at wine expos. I tried a lily health drink, which had a pretty unique taste, and also sampled coffee infused with a hint of alcohol aroma. I actually liked that one a lot. One booth offered roselle-flavored rice crackers, which were also quite interesting.
Since the crowd was small, I had more in-depth interactions with the vendors. I chatted with several booth staff. Some represented long-established local brands trying to transform their products, while others were startups founded by young entrepreneurs. No wonder the products were so creative. They privately mentioned that many others in the industry had failed, and those who made it to this exhibition were the lucky ones who had survived market competition. Well… maybe I’ll just stick to being an ordinary corporate worker.
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