前幾天我又到醫院去探病了，再去醫院路上，正好看到一家賣生煎包的小攤，攤位前面，有幾位看起來像學生的顧客在排隊，我在一看生煎包的價錢，三個三十五元台幣，我記得前幾年的生煎包價錢是一個十元台幣，看起來也是漲價了，但是，跟今天的物價相比，動不動就漲價個 50% 左右，還算實惠，正好買幾個生煎包嚐嚐。
老闆的生煎包是現做的，看的見製作的過程，讓人比較安心，切碎的高麗菜絲是生煎包的主角，接著用中間厚、邊緣薄的圓皮包裹住飽滿的餡料，慢慢收口，捏出細緻的摺痕，最後輕輕封緊，再將生煎包整齊排入鍋中，用中小火慢慢煎至底部金黃。接著沿著鍋邊倒入水，立刻蓋上鍋蓋，讓蒸氣將內餡完全煮熟後，生煎包就出爐啦。
淋上濃稠的醬油膏及辣椒醬，是我最中意的生煎包吃法，也是我學生時代，最常用來充饑的美食，不但便宜，而且可以吃得飽，這家生煎包挑不出毛病，價錢又實惠，想必是附近的熱門攤位。
晚上回家時，我又經過這一帶，發現還有另一家賣生煎包的攤位，居然一顆生煎包只要八元台幣，攤位前排了長長的人龍，等待購買，果然，這個年代，便宜才是王道，只要東西夠便宜，顧客就自動來報到。
A few days ago, I went to the hospital again to visit someone. On the way there, I happened to spot a small stall selling pan-fried buns. There were a few customers in line who looked like students. I checked the price. Three buns for 35 NT dollars. I clearly remember that a few years ago, one bun only cost about 10 NT dollars, so it’s obvious the price has gone up. Still, compared to today’s prices, where things easily jump by 50% or more, it actually felt pretty reasonable. So I decided to buy a few and give them a try.
The buns were made fresh on the spot, and you could see the whole process, which made it feel more reassuring. Finely chopped cabbage was the star of the filling. The vendor wrapped the juicy filling with round dough wrappers that were thicker in the middle and thinner around the edges. He slowly sealed them, pinching neat little pleats, then lined the buns up in the pan. Using medium-low heat, he pan-fried them until the bottoms turned golden brown. After that, he poured some water along the edge of the pan and immediately covered it with a lid, letting the steam cook the filling through. Once the water evaporated, the pan-fried buns were ready.
Drizzled with thick soy sauce and chili sauce—that’s my favorite way to eat pan-fried buns. It also brings back memories of my student days, when this was one of my go-to foods to fill up my stomach. It was cheap and filling, perfect for getting through the day. This stall really had nothing to complain about. The buns were good and the price was fair. No wonder it’s a popular spot nearby.
Later that evening, on my way home, I passed the same area again and noticed another pan-fried bun stall. Surprisingly, their buns were only 8 NT dollars each. There was a long line of people waiting to buy them. It really proved one thing. These days, cheap is king. As long as the price is low enough, customers will line up on their own.
