新竹米粉產業所形塑的地方飲食文化

Abstract

因秋冬季節九降風聞名而有風城之稱的新竹，以米粉、貢丸餅等小吃聞名全臺，米粉做為新竹地區著名特產，因新竹有良好的自然人文條件而興起，米粉產業已有上百年歷史，與地方連結產生深厚的產業文化，然而隨著產業與社會變遷，米粉產業在產銷層面出現轉型。2013年米粉的食安事件引發民眾對於米粉飲食的疑慮，藉由本研究了解米粉產業在產銷層面的轉型。 本研究主要討論米粉產業傳統的產銷關係與飲食特色，以及現今消費導向的社會下產銷變遷與飲食關係的轉變對米粉消費的意義，研究有三個目的：(一)釐清新竹米粉生產特性，(二)分析新竹米粉飲食文化，(三)新竹米粉所產生的飲食文化與認同。 研究結果顯示，新竹米粉產業因產業與社會變遷，近來與地方環境連結性降低，然而在地長期的發展下，生產者擁有長久經驗累積下來的生產技術、機械工廠提供米粉生產器具，隨著時代變遷調節生產模式，自成一套生產體系，產業與社會變遷下創造出新竹米粉產業文化。米粉產業與新竹地區的飲食體系結合，米粉產業特性、消費者論述、地方特色與地方制度性力量的影響下，社會與產業變遷與地方交互作用，米粉飲食與地方飲食體系結合，形塑新竹在地飲食特色。產業與地方飲食體系所形成的關係，消費者透過米粉的購買與飲食行為建立認同，而建構認同的因子受到社會與產業變遷影響，在地消費者的米粉飲食認同由本身生活經驗所形成的飲食記憶所建構，而遠離米粉產區的外地消費者則由飲食資訊的傳播了解新竹米粉特色，新竹米粉產業長久發展下，經過產業在地化，與地方產生連結，結合消費社會多種因子影響下，新竹米粉產業發展脈絡獲得在地人與外地人的認同，形成臺灣米粉產業經典範型之一。

關鍵詞：新竹米粉產業、飲食文化、飲食認同

Hsinchu, the city of wind (named because of its winter intensive northeast monsoon), is known by its rice noodle, pork meatball etc. As one of the specialties of Hsinchu, rice noodle culture has more than a hundred years. The rice noodle industry was founded because of Hsinchu’s particular natural and humanistic resources and it is deeply rooted into Hsinchu’s local culture. However, as the industry and society develop over time, the rice noodle industry changes as well in terms of its sales model. In 2013, a rice noodle safety crisis induced people’s concern of rice noodle’s production. Rice noodle becomes the focus and motivation of this study. We discussed the relationship between the local food culture and the sales model of traditional rice noodle industry, and the change of this relationship because of societal change and consumerism. There are three purposes of study: (1) to illustrate the production features of Hsinchu’s rice noodle, (2) to demonstrate the formation of rice noodle culture of Hsinchu, and (3) to elaborate the food culture and identity caused by Hsinchu’s rice noodle. The results showed that Hsinchu’s rice noodle industry had a diminished connection with local society due to consumerism and societal change. The modification of rice noodle production partly is caused by technological change and partly by society change; but this modification also influences Hsinchu’s rice noodle industrial culture. The Hsinchu local food culture was shaped by the rice noodle industrial features, consumers’ opinions, the local characteristics, local governmental influences, the fusion of rice noodle and local food culture, and their interactions. Consumers recognized this rice noodle food culture through ways of marketing and purchases. The rice noodle food identity, along with the industrial changes, localization of products, local connection and consumerism, is now wildly accepted by Taiwanese and Hsinchu brand name becomes a classic of rice noodle industry.

Keywords: Hsinchu’s rice noodle industry, food culture, and food identity