之前去台中旅遊時，住在一中學區附近，會選擇這裡主要是離一中夜市很近，此外，生活機能方便，美食攤位林立，物價相對便宜，運氣很好地，在網路上找到一間便宜的飯店，雖然評價不高，但是價錢真的算是便宜，就抱著探險的心態入住，結果，地點很不好找，但是真的離夜市很近，所以，我還蠻滿意的。
在搜尋夜市附近的美食時，一中夜市福州包的排名很前面，據說，它是不少老台中人學生時代的回憶，這一帶附近有四所學校，所以，消費群體以學生為主，學生的消費能力不強，但是食量相對較大，對他們而言，買個福州包，搭配珍珠牛奶或是紅茶冰，就可以吃飽了，也是以前不少學生傍晚下課後，準備到補習班上課前的晚餐。
循著地圖，在夜市找了一圈，我順便也逛了一圈夜市，其實，店離夜市中心區域不遠，運氣不錯，沒有太多人排隊，要排隊是我最擔心的事情，一看價錢，四個20元，好像也沒到很便宜，不過，我剛好想幫胃留點空間，吃點其它的夜市美食，就買了四個嘗鮮看看，老闆用個塑膠袋裝給我，吃下去，外皮吃得到網路上形容的酥脆口感，內餡沒有飽滿到爆出來，但是，可以吃的到高麗菜和肉末的香氣，醬油和辣椒膏的提味，讓人越吃越想吃，是我喜歡的那種古早味。
然而，憑良心說，一開始看網路上關於福州包的價錢，從一顆2元漲到一顆3元，再漲到一顆4元，現在是一顆5元，可以明顯看到物價的飛漲，可能之前這家店，可以說得上是CP值高，但現在來看，應該只能說是不貴，但也說不上便宜，做小吃的，口味好才有辦法做得長久，這家店的福州包味道還行，但是，我猜，應該不少這家店的客人，也是來吃個情懷的。
When I traveled to Taichung, I stayed near the Yizhong School District. The main reason I chose this area was that it’s super close to Yizhong Night Market. Plus, it has great convenience, lots of food stalls, and relatively cheap prices. I was lucky to find a budget hotel online—though the reviews weren’t great, the price was really cheap, so I decided to take a chance. Turns out, the place was pretty hard to find, but it was really close to the night market, so overall, I was quite satisfied.
While looking for food near the night market, I noticed that Fuzhou Buns had a really high ranking. Apparently, it’s a nostalgic snack for many older Taichung locals from their student days. There are four schools around this area, so most of the customers are students. Since students don’t have a lot of money but usually eat a lot, a Fuzhou Bun with pearl milk tea or iced black tea was the perfect cheap and filling meal for them. It was also a go-to dinner for many students before heading to cram school after class.
Following the map, I walked around the night market and explored a bit. The shop wasn’t too far from the main area, and luckily, there wasn’t a long line—waiting in line is always my biggest concern. I checked the price: four buns for 20 NTD. It didn’t seem super cheap, but since I wanted to save some room for other night market food, I just bought four to try. The owner packed them in a plastic bag for me.
Taking a bite, I could definitely taste the crispy texture that people online had mentioned. The filling wasn’t stuffed to the point of bursting out, but I could taste the aroma of cabbage and minced meat. The soy sauce and chili paste added a nice kick, making them even more addictive; it’s exactly the kind of nostalgic flavor I love.
That said, to be honest, when I looked up the price history online, I saw that these buns used to cost 2 NTD each, then increased to 3, then 4, and now they’re 5 NTD each. You can really see how much prices have gone up. Maybe this place used to have amazing value for money, but now, I’d say it’s just "not expensive" rather than "cheap". For street food vendors, having good flavors is the only way to survive long-term. The Fuzhou Buns here taste pretty good, but I have a feeling that a lot of their customers come here for nostalgia as much as the food itself.
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