台灣苦茶油──山林間孕育出的珍貴食用油

The humble white radish (also known as daikon) boasts a remarkable cultivation history spanning millennia across China, with records documented as early as the Northern Wei Dynasty (533-544 CE) in the seminal text Qimin Yaoshu (Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People). Beginning as a transplanted crop, Taiwan’s radish has gone through the successive Qing Dynasty and Japanese colonial periods, and gradually became an indispensable cornerstone of the common people's dining table.

Since Starbucks arrived in Taiwan in 1998, "coffee with Western-world sophistication" has sparked a craze across consumption, cultivation, and coffee competitions throughout the island. According to Ministry of Agriculture statistics, Taiwan imports over 50,000 tons of green coffee beans annually in recent years—that translates to 184 cups of coffee per person each year.

From failed introductions and plantings during the Japanese colonial era to successful cultivation in Pingtung today, Taiwan's onions have evolved into a key local crop. Now gradually making their mark on international markets, they're emerging as a promising export commodity.