The legend of E-kids - Search for the East Raft Valley

Article by Chiang Shang Ju 2003.2.5

        One hot summer day, 11 chefs were going to enter competition of rice cuisine to compete with other chefs. They never met each other before participating the contest, but all of them were good at Native specialties; therefore, they became familiar. After the contest, they decided to find out the six species of mysterious rice and the secret of rice cuisine.

         They went to Ji-Shuen Primary school, where stored King Rice. First they found one student, telling them the place storing it. Then they reached the mysterious barn, which no one had been before. They entered it and found one secret tunnel and there lay King Rice and Chrshang Rice, another kind of mysterious rice. They were glad and started to collect them, but suddenly the director of the school appeared and asked them to answer his question before taking them away. He asked them if they knew another name of King Rice; however, the answer “ Chi-Ye No. 1” came from their mouth with ease. Thus, they left for next mysterious rice “ red glutinous rice.”

         Guangfu is the only place to grow Red Glutinous Rice. While arriving Guangfu, they began to search for it; however, no villagers knew where it was. Suddenly, one suggested asking one farmer here and they would know the exact place. As a result, they found the farmer and he gave them a pack of red glutinous rice. In the late afternoon, they took the pack and thanked the farmer and were ready to look for the next mysterious rice –“Fuli rice.”

         They felt so tired and decided to stay in a tavern and began their searching next early morning. Meanwhile, every chef was thinking about the other three kinds of rice, pondering that they were going to find the mystery of rice and make the legendary rice food after finding them. The next early morning, they set for Fuli, this time they found the rice without effort because they could easily buy it at the supermarket run by 4-H Farmers Association. After purchasing one pack, they were happy to know that they could also but the other two kinds, Penglai Rice and Tsailai Rice, at the rice store. Since they had already found the six species of rice, they were ready on the way to the Rice. In the mid-way, they met an old woman, who was knitting straws; they were curious about it and the old lady also would like to teach them how to knit windmills, sickles…. They all enjoyed learning how to make them.

         After knitting, they returned to the place to cook, meeting the God of Guard, Yang-mi.