A Winter Delight from Yenchao Jujubes／冬季限定 燕巢蜜棗
A Winter Delight from Yenchao Jujubes
◎English Translation:Marie-claude Pelchat
◎Photos by Pao Chung-hui
In Kaohsiung City, the sun still shines brightly during the winter season. The branches heavy with jujubes clearly symbolizes jujube season has arrived.
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Yeh Chung-bin is the head of the 7th Jujube Production and Marketing Group, part of Yenchao District Farmer's Association. He believes Yenchao jujubes are so delicious due to Yenchao District's soil, rich in calcium, magnesium and other trace elements, providing the necessary nutrients to grow juicy, tasty, thinly skinned jujubes.
He believes these jujubes are more suited to lower temperatures and precipitation during Taiwan's winter season. It is believed that during Chinese New Year, eating jujubes brings good fortune. Yeh uses nets to prevent damage caused by Drosophila flies; subsequently reducing the need for pesticides. Pre-harvest farmers use fertilization techniques to enhance potassium and magnesium levels in the soil. This contributes to the hint of acidity that blends with the sweetness of the fruit, resulting in a better taste. A ripe jujube can weigh up to 150g, the skin is a yellowish green, part of stem that is wrinkled and flesh that is hard and reaches 15 on the sweetness scale.
Yeh explains, "Jujubes are also known as reunion fruit, making reference to an old proverb that says jujubes guarantee good years." The festive fruit have been well received by the market, fetching prices of NT$80 to NT$100 per kilogram. Jujubes harvested by the 7th Production and Marketing Group have received the GAP certification (Good Agricultural Practices) and meet pesticide standards. Over the last three years Yenchao Jujubes have also been available on the Shanghai market. Yeh explains, refrigerated jujubes keep for a week and have a harvest season from December to March. So enjoy the wonderful, sweet flavour of jujubes during this winter season.
| Where to buy? |
Yenchao District Farmers' Association
Telephone: (07) 616-2211
Yeh Chung-Bin (Head of Yenchao 7th
Jujube Production and Marketing Group)
Telephone: 0919109136 |
冬季限定 燕巢蜜棗
◎文／張嘉玲
◎攝影／鮑忠暉
時序已進入冬季，圓碩的蜜棗沉甸甸地垂掛枝頭，蜜棗季節翩翩降臨。
燕巢農會第7班棗子產銷班的葉仲彬班長表示，燕巢蜜棗之所以遠近馳名，是因燕巢地區土壤中富含鈣、鎂成份及微量元素，提供蜜棗所需養份，成熟蜜棗多汁、皮薄，口感極佳，頗受市場歡迎。葉班長表示，蜜棗適合在低溫、少雨的冬季生長，逢年過節時，吃棗子亦寓有吉祥之意。種植過程中，葉班長採用網室預防果蠅啃咬，減少用藥。他表示，果農於採收前，會利用施肥技術使蜜棗甜中帶酸，風味佳美。成熟蜜棗一顆可達150公克，果皮呈現黃綠色，果蒂部分無皺褶狀，果肉硬脆，甜度可達15度，嚐起來略帶酸味，散發果香。
葉班長表示，蜜棗亦稱「團圓果」，古有「送棗年年好」之俗諺，喜氣的蜜棗頗受市場歡迎，燕巢蜜棗的販售價格1公斤約80到100元。他表示，產銷班所生產的蜜棗取得國家吉園圃認證，符合用藥標準。燕巢蜜棗也打入了上海市場 ，連續供貨3年。葉班長說，蜜棗冷藏即可保存約1星期。蜜棗盛產期由12月至翌年3月，欲品嚐甜美、風味佳的蜜棗，就在冬季。
| 哪裡買？ |
燕巢區農會 07-6162211
燕巢區棗子產銷班班長葉仲彬 0919109136 |
Liugui Perfect Papaya
◎English Translation:Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos by Hou Ya-ting
This year, it was farmers from Liugui who were honored for their Perfect Papaya at the 26th Fruit Farmers' Production and Marketing Association. Top farmers 
were selected from approximately 6,000 competitors. Liugui's winning papaya was "Tainung No. 2" selected for its year round fertility, ultra-sweetness, delightful deep orange flesh, superb texture and distinct fragrance. The association named it the "Perfect Papaya" and maintains the exclusive right to brand and market them. Association Director Ciou Ruei-bin said this perfection is based on the papaya's great symmetry and blemish-free skin.
Liugui's landscape features hills and valleys and good soil drainage. This has resulted in a perfect environment for papayas to grow. The weather in Liugui is usually hot, adding to the area's advantages. However, growing papaya trees also poses several challenges. Papayas are susceptible to Ringspot Virus, a side effect of aphid bites. Therefore, commercial papaya farmers protect their trees with net housing. Liugui's typhoon season brings strong winds, which poses a great threat to the papaya industry. Perfect Papayas are tree-ripened and then shipped to Taipei's Agricultural Wholesale Market. They are mostly sold domestically; however a small percentage is exported to Japan and China.
The 26th Association complies with food safety, following Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) and Taiwan's Agriculture and Food Traceability (TAFT) system. Director Ciou stated, "The 26th Association stays ahead of the game. Currently, the association is focusing on greenhouse cultivation techniques." It is hoped these developments will extend the papaya's short shelf life and extend opportunities for export markets. The association is currently planning to apply for international food safety certifications. "Even though they have won an award, it does not mean the association has reached its final destiny", states Director Ciou. The association will continue to reinforce their brand and broaden their international market.
六龜 波飛木瓜
◎文／張嘉玲
◎攝影／鮑忠暉、侯雅婷
六龜地區第26期果樹(木瓜)產銷班今年在全台6000多個產銷班中脫穎而出，獲選成為全國十大績優農業產銷班，所生產的木瓜為終年可採，果肉品質佳，市場反映良好的台農2號品種 ，並以「波飛(Perfect)」作為產銷班專屬品牌。波飛木瓜果肉偏紅色，入口香甜，產銷班班長邱瑞斌表示，果形端正、果皮無疤痕的木瓜才能入選成為波飛木瓜。
邱瑞斌表示，六龜地區排水性好，地形高低落差明顯，環境氣候適合木瓜生長，愈炎熱的氣候，品質愈佳。為防止蚜蟲囓咬木瓜傳播輪點病毒，波飛木瓜採用網室栽培，種植過程最怕遇到颱風破壞網室結構，造成損失。頂級木瓜運往台北農產公司拍賣市場販售，少量外銷至日本，今年，波飛木瓜亦首度挑戰大陸市場。高品質的波飛木瓜在市面上比一般木瓜一公斤多出約一、二十元。
邱瑞斌說，第26期木瓜產銷班生產的木瓜，達到吉園圃或生產履歷的認證，嚴格遵守用藥規範，他笑著說，第26期產銷班往往「比別人早一步」，現階段要發展溫室栽培技術，克服木瓜外銷常產生不耐久存的問題，未來亦計畫申請國際食品安全認證，邱瑞斌表示，得獎不是終點，從建立在地品牌到逐步挑戰外銷市場，波飛木瓜讓人拭目以待。