Qing Tian 76
by Qian Leung
@ 28 Jul 2017
Located at No. 6, Lane 7 of Qing Tian (green paddy) Road, Qing Tian 76 was constructed by professor Masashi Adachi, who taught agriculture at Taipei Imperial University in the 1930s. Due to his time spent in America as a student, the Hokkaido native had western architectural elements incorporated into his home, such as glass doors alongside paper ones, and wooden floor panels alongside tatami mats. A swimming pool was built in the backyard, complete with a sun-room which can be used for sun-tanning. After the war, the home became the residence of professor Ma Ting Ying, who taught geoscience at the same university, renamed as National Taiwan University. Today, school children visit to learn about 8000-year-old rocks, while adults sample cuisine which tells the house’s story. As a nod to professor Adachi’s contributions to the sugarcane industry in Taiwan, sugarcane is topped up with coffee, to represent the east-meets-west character of the house. Local persimmons filled with red bean paste may appear Japanese, but its heart is made of European camembert cheese. You can also taste ponlai rice, a Japanese grain successful cultivated in Taiwan with the help of Eikichi Iso, who used to live next door and was a fellow professor of agriculture. The grains are milled in-house, to keep the nutrient-dense rice germ intact. Lobster is served with a touch of butter, a western ingredient. Because each dish offers a diversity of flavours and scents, my tastebuds feel thoroughly pampered and satisfied.
