enya FASHION QUEEN

EDITOR Annie Chien｜TRANSLATOR Aurora Lin｜PHOTOGRAPHER Wade Wu

1964年以前，「台灣料理」這個詞還不存在，人們只說家常菜，沒有人真正定義什麼是「台菜」。在那樣的年代裡，懷抱夢想的魏玉霞女士，和姊姊創立了「青葉台灣料理餐廳」。從七張桌子的小館起步，逐步拓展規模，到成立「青葉食品工業股份有限公司」讓海外遊子也能嚐到家的味道，一份從廚房走向世界的執著，讓台灣的味道第一次被整理、被正名，也真正被看見，開啟了台菜新時代，並為當時的女性創業者注入最動人的勇氣。

一甲子過去，她的孫女簡子晴延續了這份傳奇，如今「青葉」早已不只是餐廳的名字，是一段關於家鄉的記憶，更是一份代代相傳的溫度。隨著第三代簡子晴回到青葉集團，延續著奶奶的初心，「青葉」屬於台灣的溫度，持續飄香。

A Taste of Home, a Legacy of Love Across Three Generations
Interview with Emily Chien, Third-generation Successor of the Ching Ye Group

Long before the term “Taiwanese cuisine” even entered the local vocabulary, there was simply home cooking—humble, undefined, and rarely elevated to the realm of culinary heritage. In 1964, with nothing but a dream and her unwavering will, Madam Yuxia Wei and her sister opened a small eatery with just seven tables. That modest beginning would go on to reshape Taiwan’s food identity. Through the founding of Ching Ye AoBa Taiwanese Cuisine Restaurant and later Ching Ye Foods Industrial Co., Ltd., Madam Wei not only brought the flavors of home to life but also gave Taiwanese cuisine its name, its dignity, and its passport to the world. At a time when female entrepreneurs were few and far between, she forged a path with courage and conviction, cooking her way into history.

Six decades on, that spirit lives on in her granddaughter, Emily Chien. Today, Ching Ye is no longer just a restaurant—it is a memory, a movement, a legacy of warmth passed from one generation to the next. With Emily’s return to the family business, a third generation steps forward. Her mission: to carry her grandmother’s vision into a new era, and to ensure that the taste of Taiwanese cuisine continues to linger—both on the palate and in the heart.

遊子對家的思念

回顧青葉從小餐館擴店到買地建工廠，將最受歡迎的「青葉嚕肉」做成罐頭，讓台灣味走出島嶼、飄向世界的歷史，「青葉對我來說，是家鄉的根。」簡子晴說道。

從小受到台灣美食文化的薰陶，簡子晴對味道有著特別的敏銳度。看著客人舉杯、聽著廚房裡的鍋鏟聲與一桌桌團圓的笑聲，她深深感受到料理能連結人與人之間的情感。對她而言，食物不只是滋味，更是一種情感的傳遞。即使遠赴英國求學、在海外工作多年，那份對「家鄉味」的思念，仍引領她回到青葉，傳承屬於這片土地的溫度與記憶。

Home, Preserved in a Can—and in the Heart

From a neighborhood kitchen to a full-fledged food empire, Ching Ye’s story is one of perseverance and innovation. When Emily speaks of the brand, she doesn’t just recall its flagship dish, the now-iconic Ching Ye Taiwanese Braised Pork, or the company’s early venture into canning as a way to bring the essence of Taiwanese cuisine to homes across the globe. She talks about roots.
“To me,” she reflects, “Ching Ye is the root of where I come from.”
Growing up surrounded by the aromas and rhythms of traditional Taiwanese cooking, Emily developed an innate sensitivity to flavor and an appreciation for the communal power of a shared meal. The sound of spatulas clinking against woks, the clatter of dishes, and the laughter of families gathering to eat—all of it shaped her emotional connection to food. Even after years abroad—studying in the UK, working internationally—she found herself drawn back to this place, this calling, this memory of home. And it was food that guided her return.

家的故事，在餐桌上延續

在異鄉的歲月裡，她看見世界各地以飲食述說文化，更懂得家的味道有多珍貴：「我希望用新世代的語言去傳遞這份溫度，讓每一道菜，繼續成為人與人之間相遇、相知的故事。」

對她來說，青葉不只是餐廳，更是串起家族緣分的地方。簡子晴的父母正是在青葉相識相愛。「當年媽媽原本要和朋友去咖啡廳打工，卻因為名額已滿，臨時轉往隔壁的青葉試試看，沒想到就在那裡遇見了爸爸。」那一場偶然的轉身，不只成就了一段愛情，也延續了家的故事。如今她回國加入青葉團隊，看著陪伴自己長大的員工，總覺得這不只是工作，更像是回到一個熟悉而溫暖的家。

At the Table, Our Story Continues

During her years overseas, Emily began to see how deeply food could tell a story—how each culture reveals itself through its ingredients, its rituals, its flavors. That realization deepened her understanding of just how precious home cooking is.
“I want to speak the language of this generation,” she says. “To carry this warmth forward in a way that resonates—so each dish becomes a new encounter, a shared memory.”
For her, Ching Ye is more than a business. It’s the place where her family’s story began—quite literally. Her parents met there. “My mom had planned to work at a nearby café, but it was already full. She walked into Ching Ye next door just to try her luck. That’s where she met my dad,” she shares with a smile.
What started as a chance encounter became the beginning of a family, a legacy, a lifelong devotion to preserving something as fragile and powerful as taste. Now that she’s back, working alongside longtime staff who once watched her grow up, Emily says it feels less like work—and more like coming home.

從一桌菜到三個時代，是家傳的誠心

青葉歷經三代傳承，始終堅持「有心、有誠意」的精神。簡子晴回憶，奶奶最常叮嚀的一句話就是：「要認真。」菜色不必常換，但要用心研究、慢慢推陳出新。這份精神，讓青葉在穩定中注入細膩，也在時間中繼續發光。

「青葉不追潮流，而是讓傳統被溫柔地記得。」如同法國的 Ladurée 以百年配方延續十九世紀巴黎的經典，Hermès 以優雅從容的姿態細緻詮釋時間的價值，青葉也是那樣的存在——不隨波逐流，卻以真誠與堅持，開創象徵台灣的經典，每一道菜，都承載了世代間流動的愛與信念。

From a Single Table to Three Generations of Heart

Through six decades and three generations, Ching Ye has remained steadfast in its philosophy: lead with sincerity, cook with heart. Emily recalls her grandmother’s most repeated advice: “Be serious about what you do.” Recipes didn’t need to change often, but every ingredient, every dish, had to be thoughtfully refined.
That quiet commitment has kept Ching Ye not only consistent, but constantly evolving.
“We’re not chasing trends. We’re keeping tradition alive—gently and intentionally.”
Just as Ladurée carries the elegance of 19th-century Paris into the modern age with century-old macaron recipes, or Hermès distills the grace of time into each detail of its craftsmanship, Ching Ye holds space for the spirit of Taiwanese cuisine. Its food doesn’t scream for attention—it simply reminds. Every dish tells a story. Every bite, a whisper of a generational bond, of love passed down.

讓台灣味，走得更遠

如今的青葉，不僅是一家餐廳，更是一個融合食品、保健與生活的集團。從「青葉食品工業」股份有限公司與自建工廠、到「青葉生活」、「TOKUWA德合」生技與「PetTrue貝初」寵物保健品；從一桌菜的香氣，到能將台灣文化帶向全球的各式食品與健康補給品，持續以不同形式讓「台灣的溫度」走進生活，飄向世界。

「台灣味最珍貴的地方，是包容與溫柔。」那是一份真誠、踏實與溫暖的美，即將邁入六十二年歷史的青葉，仍令老饕新客不斷回訪，無論是餐桌上的一口飯，還是記憶裡的一段笑聲，都能讓人想起家——想起那份閃耀台灣文化的幸福味道。

Letting the Flavors of Taiwanese Cuisine Go Further

Today, Ching Ye has evolved into more than a restaurant group. It has become a lifestyle brand rooted in wellness, food culture, and homegrown identity. From Ching Ye Foods and its self-owned factories, to the health brand TOKUWA – Biotechnology & Health Products, PetTrue – Pet Health & Wellness Products, and Ching Ye Lifestyle – the group continues to translate the warmth of Taiwanese cuisine into tangible, thoughtful offerings.
“What makes Taiwanese cuisine so special is its gentleness. Its inclusivity.”
That kindness lives in every bowl of rice, in every comforting sip of soup. Now approaching its 62nd year, Ching Ye remains a place people return to—not just for the food, but for the feeling. A feeling of home. Of laughter around a table. Of love that lingers—long after the last bite.