Market-stall beginnings
Tsai began researching vinegar making in 2010 and formally established his Fu Niang Fang brand two years later. He put his savings into equipment and ingredients, and devoted every day to research. “I was certain I was doing the right thing, but didn’t know what the future would bring,” says Tsai, who wasn’t making any money at the time. Fortunately his wife, Rena Chang, also has a background in food science and was able to support the family.
Once he had a product, he set up a stall in a Pingtung market to sell it. At a few hundred NT dollars per bottle, his fermented vinegar was far more expensive than the synthetic vinegar on store shelves and few people showed interest. He therefore switched to selling flavored vinegar drinks. He was surprised by the positive response, and not only had mothers and grandmothers visiting him daily, but they even helped him sell his drinks.
After getting a friend to design packaging for this brand, Tsai began entering his products in international tastings, where they went on to win Germany’s Red Dot design award and two stars from Belgium’s International Taste & Quality Institute. He was also invited to sell his products in Singapore and mainland China. Tsai’s first Taiwanese shop opened in Taichung in 2014. In addition to providing him with a retail outlet, it functions as a venue for distributing samples and a forum for communicating with his customers.
Tsai is in a good place these days. Fu Niang Fang is gaining a more solid footing in the domestic and international markets, and his son’s condition has stabilized to the point that he only needs to visit the hospital every other year for checkups. Seeing the children growing up active and healthy drinking his vinegar beverages has only strengthened Tsai’s commitment to his “sour” life.
The slow passage of time tempers Taiwanese agricultural products, turning them into micronutrient-rich pure fermented vinegar. Our artisanal producers’ dedication to old-school vinegar-making techniques is ensuring this Taiwanese tradition will be passed on.
Tsai Fu Liang, founder of Fu Niang Fang, and wife Rena Chang have drawn on traditional vinegar-making techniques and their own food-science expertise to produce outstanding naturally fermented vinegars rich in organic acids.
Tsai feels blessed and has become still more committed to his “vinegary” way of life since seeing his son grow up healthy and strong drinking his vinegar. (courtesy of Fu Niang Fang)
Fu Niang Fang has brought traditional vinegar making into the modern era by fermenting its vinegars in stainless steel tanks and closely monitoring their acidity and alcohol levels. (courtesy of Fu Niang Fang)
Fu Niang Fang has brought traditional vinegar making into the modern era by fermenting its vinegars in stainless steel tanks and closely monitoring their acidity and alcohol levels. (courtesy of Fu Niang Fang)
Fu Niang Fang has brought traditional vinegar making into the modern era by fermenting its vinegars in stainless steel tanks and closely monitoring their acidity and alcohol levels. (courtesy of Fu Niang Fang)