之前我不是提到很多人都有選擇障礙嗎？我在走逛傳統市場時，看到各式各樣美味的小吃，但當我看到這家油飯攤時，我就決定我的午餐就是它了，聽說，油飯的歷史可以追溯到幾千年前，最早可能起源於中國南方地區，油飯通常以蒸熟的糯米，拌入炒香的佐料，如臘肉、臘腸、肉絲、香菇、紅蔥酥、乾魷魚、花生等原料製成，這些原料經過調味後包裹在糯米中，然後蒸煮而成，各位看到這裡，應該會覺得有點奇怪，製作方法怎麼看起來和肉粽類似。
與油飯相比，肉粽通常更加厚實，因為人們會用粽葉包裹了更多的餡料，所以肉粽會帶有竹葉獨特的香味，肉粽一般作為端午節的傳統食品，因此也具有特殊的文化意義，而吃油飯、送油飯是台灣民間一種特別的習俗， 傳統的農業時代重男輕女，生男孩就要送雞腿油飯及紅蛋，雞腿及紅蛋象徵男孩生殖器，米做的油飯，表示繁殖之意，是傳統的彌月禮習俗禮，所以，從小到大，我們常常有機會，吃到不少彌月油飯，只要有同事、朋友或親戚生男孩子，就有機會收到彌月油飯，從小吃到大，我本來就特別喜歡油飯及肉粽這類的小吃。
這家店的位置，在市場周邊的巷弄內，油飯都放在一個傳統的大木桶內保溫，它的油飯只有乾魷魚作為佐料，但是糯米蒸的粒粒分明，彈牙有嚼勁，油飯一入口，可以吃的到淡淡的糯米香，我在外面其它的小吃店吃的油飯，大多放香菇及肉絲作為佐料，放這麼多乾魷魚的真的比較少，假如口味吃的比較重的人，可以加店內特製甜辣醬，會更好吃，我的口味算重的，但是當下吃的時候沒看到甜辣醬，直到吃完後，我才注意到店內有提供甜辣醬，因為這家店的油飯真的蠻好吃的，我後來有跟店家另外買兩斤油飯，打算外帶回家享用，那時我就有拿甜辣醬，回家後，吃加入甜辣醬的油飯，也是很夠味，對於這家店，我有些「一試成主顧」，假如和那些用料昂貴及豐盛配料的五星飯店油飯相較，當然是無法比，不過和一般小吃店水準的古早味油飯比的話，這家店還不錯。
Remember how I mentioned people often struggle with making decisions? Well, on my recent wanderings through a traditional market, I found myself in that exact situation. There were tons of mouthwatering snacks to choose from, but when I stumbled upon this oil rice stall, I just knew that's what I wanted for lunch. You see, oil rice has this fascinating history dating back thousands of years, possibly originating from the southern regions of China. It's basically steamed glutinous rice mixed with savory ingredients like waxed meats, sausages, shredded meat, shiitake mushrooms, fried shallots, dried squid, peanuts – you get the picture. These goodies are all seasoned, wrapped up in glutinous rice, and then steamed to perfection.
Now, you might be thinking, "Hold on a sec, isn't that pretty much like rice dumpling?" And you'd be right! rice dumpling is quite similar, but it's usually heartier because it's packed with more filling, wrapped in bamboo leaves, and has that distinctive leafy aroma. rice dumpling is also a traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival, so it carries some cultural significance.
In Taiwan, there's this cool tradition of giving oil rice as gifts, especially for celebrations of baby boys. It's symbolic – the chicken leg and red egg represent, well, you can guess, and the rice symbolizes fertility and prosperity. So, growing up, I've had my fair share of oil rice gifts whenever a baby boy was born to friends, family, or colleagues.
Anyway, back to the stall. It's tucked away in an alley near the market, and they keep their oil rice warm in this big traditional wooden barrel. Their version only had dried squid as a topping, but let me tell you, the glutinous rice was cooked to perfection – each grain distinct and chewy. You could taste that subtle rice fragrance with every bite. Now, I've had oil rice from other places with fancier toppings like shiitake mushrooms and shredded meat, but dried squid? That's a bit rare. If you're into bold flavors, they even have this special sweet and spicy sauce you can add. Unfortunately, I didn't notice it until after I finished eating. But hey, I liked the oil rice so much that I bought an extra two pounds to take home. And let me tell you, adding that sweet and spicy sauce took it to another level.
So yeah, this stall might not measure up to those fancy five-star hotel oil rice dishes with their expensive and lavish ingredients. But compared to your average snack stall oil rice? It's pretty darn good. Needless to say, I'll be a regular customer from now on.
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