Luo Wen-chia founded the I Love You Xuetian Market to promote urban-rural exchange through food

In the early afternoon, at the corner of a small alley on Rui'an Street in Taipei, the storefront of "I Love You Xue Tian Market" displays vegetables such as scallions, garlic, lettuce, cilantro, and daikon, along with a rice milling machine, plus rice, eggs, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and other agricultural products.

A composite space combining a small supermarket, a canteen, and a lecture hall

"I Love You Xue Tian Market" is a farm restaurant recently opened by Luo Wen-jia, president of Buffalo Publishing House, emphasizing "direct delivery from the place of origin, organic ingredients, cooking classes, and urban-rural exchange." Most of the agricultural products sold and the meals served at this shop come from small farmers across Taiwan, China. In addition, a series of courses is planned, inviting farmers to interact directly with consumers and arranging farm internships, among other things.

"Our shop combines a small supermarket, a canteen, and a lecture hall. Customers who come in don't just get full; they can eat delicious and healthy food and learn more stories about food, farmers, and the land," said Luo Wen-jia. This kind of composite space has developed considerably abroad; for example, Roppongi Farm in the busy district of Tokyo, Japan, combines elements such as a shop, a school, a restaurant, and exhibitions.

First selling vegetables at the bookstore entrance, then expanding into a farm restaurant

Introducing consumers to the stories behind the food

Also because of the emphasis on understanding the place of origin and the farmers, the second-floor space of I Love You Xue Tian Market can be used not only for dining but also for holding lectures and events. Luo Wen-jia said that this May a series of courses will be launched, inviting farmers to interact directly with consumers and taking consumers to experience the places of origin firsthand. "When consumers know more about the land, farmers, and agricultural products, they feel the connection from land to table more strongly. At that point, cooking is not just a matter of culinary technique, and eating is not just an experience on the tip of the tongue."

Ms. Bai, who lives near Xue Tian Market, said: "When they were selling vegetables in front of the bookstore, I often came to buy. Now that they have a storefront, they sell more agricultural products, and they are all non-toxic, safe ingredients. This kind of market is really great!"