Ming-Chia Lee
Fairleigh Dickinson University Petrocelli College of Continuing Studies
Aixa Ritz
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Mr. ShuYing Lee is a medical doctor who prefers to provide health food through planting than writing out prescriptions. His wife, Ms. Huiwen Chen, has an enthusiastic interest in good food. Through their restaurant, which is located in Taipei, Taiwan, they want to promote sustainable agriculture and provide a healthier concept of food and beverage to others. They named their restaurant Yishizhixuan, which means the best of the era.
Ms. Chen always sighs because people are not willing to buy foods that are too expensive. Consequently, farmers have no choice but to plant crops with additives because of cheaper cost. In order to reverse this situation, Ms. Chen and Dr. Lee partnered with farmers and encouraged them to plant using Shumei Natural Agriculture, which is a way of farming method that aims to redefine the relationship between humans and nature. Through this partnership, Ms. Chen and Dr. Lee not only can control the quality of foods, but also can encourage others to do something good.
All dishes offered by Yishizhixuan are planted with Shumei Natural Agriculture farming, which does not utilize any chemicals or additives but only uses natural compost, such as leaves and grasses, in planting process. Therefore, those dishes provided by Yishizhixuan are natural and good for people’s health. Soybean-made products, especially tofu, are the specialties in Yishizhixuan. In order to form tofu, most tofu makers tend to use gypsum powder, which may contain some chemical components and produce negative impacts on a person’s health. Nevertheless, Yishizhixuan insists on using bittern, which is a natural coagulant extracted from the sea, to form tofu because bittern is more natural and would not add a burden to the healthy functioning of the body. In addition, most soybean milk makers would add defoamer in the production process. With their goal of providing natural food, Yishizhixuan refuses to use any additives. Compared to other soybean milks, the concentration of soybean milk in Yishizhixuan is higher. Because soybean milk is natural and without additives, it tastes sweet even though it is not sweetened.
For the purpose of increasing people’s awareness of food safety, Dr. Lee and Ms. Chen conduct seminars, including topics such as the introduction of Shumei Natural Agriculture, farmland management, the crisis of contemporary food, the problem of imported food, and GMO products. Furthermore, in order to encourage people to be more familiar with nature, Dr. Lee and Ms. Chen also conduct an elementary course in farming. Through this course, people can learn how to be farmers and experience a famous saying: as you sow, so shall you reap.
In addition, Dr. Lee and Ms. Chen offer an additional chance for renting farmland and tools to those who participate in their seminars. When people plant independently, Dr. Lee would provide assistance and consultation. Ms. Chen also designs summer camps for kids to experience the life of a farmer. In the summer camp, Ms. Chen teaches kids how to minimize the destruction of nature and the fundamental skills of planting. Kids can also learn how to take care of and harvest their crops.
Dr. Lee and Ms. Chen’s daughter had atopic dermatitis, which is a type of chronic inflammatory skin disease. As a doctor, Dr. Lee knew the side effects of the medicine for atopic dermatitis. After consideration, they did not want their daughter taking the medicine. They were deeply convinced that natural ingredients were the panacea. Therefore, they bought farmland in the city and planted vegetables on their own. After eating foods planted with Shumei Natural Agriculture farming, their daughter recovered without medication. With this successful case, they were more certain that natural food can improve people’s health.
Yishizhixuan achieves the UN Global Goal of Good Health and Well-being. In Taiwan, more than 90% soybean-made products are genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Because of the concern over GMOs, many people may choose those soybean-made products that are marked non-GMO. However, according to the regulation, those marked organic or non-GMO products still can contain up to 3% of GMOs. Yishizhixuan aims to protect the environment and human’s health. As a result, Yishizhixuan only uses soybeans planted by Shumei Natural Agriculture, which are 100% non-GMO products. In this way, Yishizhixuan guarantees food safety and offers a healthier way of eating.
In the beginning, there were not enough soybeans that met the standards of Shumei Natural Agriculture in Taiwan. In order to provide natural and healthy foods and maintain quality, Yishizhixuan had no choice but to import soybeans that were planted with Shumei Natural Agriculture farming from Japan. With Dr. Lee and Ms. Chen’s promotion, in 2016, the amount of soybeans planted with Shumei Natural Agriculture farming in Taiwan reached two tons, which were enough for making soybean milk.
Moreover, nowadays people can obtain every vegetable and fruit even when those vegetables and fruits are out of season. However, in order to produce these vegetables and fruits, farmers use abundant pesticides, which are harmful to the environment. Yishizhixuan insists on using seasonal vegetables and fruits, which not only avoid the use of pesticides, but also mitigate the negative impact on the environment.
Because of its innovations, Yishizhixuan is reported by many media outlets, including news channels and magazines. China Airlines, for example, one of the leading airline carriers in Taiwan, publishes articles introducing Yishizhixuan in their inflight magazine. In addition, due to the recognition of Yishizhixuan’s ideas, many people disseminate the information to others. As a result, the exposure rate of Yishizhixuan is increasing.
However, increasing profit is never the main purpose of Yishizhixuan’s operations. It aims to create a market that prioritizes health and passes the torch to the next generation. If the next generation can live in an environment without any additives, it would be the greatest benefit to Yishizhixuan.
All practices endorsed by Yishizhixuan are for sustainability and environmental protection. For example, currently, there are 46 farmers who plant with Shumei Natural Agriculture farming in Taiwan. Yishizhixuan emphasizes food miles. Consequently, even though Yishizhixuan partners with these farmers, it encourages them to sell their products first in their hometowns. By doing so, they can reduce their carbon emissions during their transportation of products.
In order to reduce the amount of disposable containers, Yishizhixuan encourages customers to bring their own container and shopping bag for take-out and offers a special discount. Furthermore, more and more people nowadays pay attention to the quality of food. However, they may be too busy to cook or buy too much to eat. In order to make full use of ingredients and provide healthy food, Yishizhixuan offers a take-out lunch meal, which is exclusive for those who provide their own containers. Through the size of container, chef can conjecture a customer’s capacity for eating. As a result, the chef can provide the appropriate amount of food, which can reduce the amount of leftovers.
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Huiwen Chen, Owner
