Grape: Kyoho Grapes Create a Purple Gold Legend

The 1717 Zhuluo County Gazetteer from the Kangxi era noted that Taiwan "only has black grapes, and even these are quite rare," highlighting how uncommon grape cultivation was at the time. It wasn't until 1955, when experimental wine production began, that Taiwan's grape cultivation area truly expanded.

Around the same period (circa 1950), the Kyoho table grape variety was introduced from Japan to Taiwan—perfectly suited to Taiwan's humid climate and the gravelly highland soils formed by alluvial deposits from the Dajia River in central Taiwan. The trial planting was an immediate success. With its deep purple-black skin when ripe, large berries, high sugar content, low acidity, and bouncy, juicy flesh with a distinctive aroma, Kyoho grapes have remained Taiwan's primary and most important table grape variety, currently commanding over 90% of the fresh grape market.

Kyoho grapes are primarily cultivated in central counties including Changhua County, Miaoli County, Taichung City, and Nantou County. Thanks to Taiwan's year-round warm subtropical climate, combined with greenhouse cultivation and nighttime lighting techniques for harvest timing adjustment, farmers can achieve two to three harvests annually. Kyoho grapes have truly created a purple gold legend.