Setting down roots
Due to shacha sauce’s popularity in Taiwan, food writer Chen Jingyi has dubbed it the “king of Taiwanese condiments.” However, looking back at the history of shacha’s development in Taiwan, one finds it isn’t a particularly long one. Back in the postwar era, the vast majority of Taiwanese people not only didn’t know what shacha was, but also didn’t eat beef, which is often associated with shacha, due to traditional beliefs in the agricultural society of the time.
Besides shacha hot pot in restaurants, easily stored canned shacha sauce has been another driver of its popularity. Liu Laiqin from Chaozhou introduced the well-known, globally marketed Bull Head brand, while Du Xiang from Shantou introduced the Chih Niu, Huang Niu, and Hei Niu brands, all of which have also become iconic.
“The way that Taiwanese people started to embrace shacha sauce was closely tied to the economic boom and to urban and rural development.” Tseng Lin-yi points out that Ximending in Taipei and Yancheng District in Kaohsiung are both old city areas with histories going back to the Japanese colonial era and are now battlegrounds for numerous shacha restaurants. As society shifted from agriculture to industry and commerce, young people left their hometowns to seek a living in the cities. After work, they would gather at shacha restaurants located in bustling areas, making them an excellent choice for socializing and dining. The aversion to eating beef also gradually faded with the changing times and circumstances.
Though shacha hot pot may seem old-fashioned today, it was actually very trendy from the 1960s to the 1980s. According to Bryan Wu’s recollection, going to see a movie in Ximending and then moving on to shacha hot pot place for a meal was a common “package deal” back in the day.
Aside from regular customers, the presence of celebrities at restaurants added to the excitement and created a trend. Shantou Everyday Shacha Hot Pot in Kaohsiung has been visited by famous singers Fei Yu-ching and Teresa Teng, while Yuan Xiang Shacha Hot Pot gained widespread recognition due to its popularity among stars such as Brigitte Lin, Chin Han, and Chang Hsiao-yen.
Compared to the past, shacha hot pot’s trendiness has significantly faded, but in today’s Taiwan, one will still almost invariably find shacha sauce provided by hot pot restaurants, whether they be shacha ones, Japanese-style ones, Hong Kong-style ones, or others. For many Taiwanese, a hot pot meal feels incomplete without it.
One of Taipei’s top hot pot restaurants is Yuan Xiang Shacha Hot Pot, which originally opened on Emei Street in Ximending. (courtesy of Bryan Wu)
Tseng Lin-yi, author of The Untold Story of Shacha Sauce, has visited various shacha restaurants throughout Taiwan, carefully researching the history and background behind this popular condiment.
Shacha is a common ingredient in Taiwanese stir-fry dishes. It is used to fry noodles and rice, and is paired with vegetables such as kai-lan or cabbage.
Chin Hsiang Shacha Hot Pot, which started out as a streetside stall, has recently launched a bottled version of their signature Chin Hsiang Shacha Sauce, getting a warm welcome from the market. Pictured is second-generation owner Kuo Yin-ming.
One of the most popular dishes in southern Taiwan is shacha beef hot pot. The hot pot is made with a clear broth and includes ingredients such as Chinese cabbage, tomatoes, and tofu. For dipping sauce, Taiwanese people typically mix shacha sauce with soy sauce, white vinegar, scallions, garlic, and chili peppers. Some older diners even add raw egg yolk to the mix.