“Eat pigeonpeas and grow as strong as a warrior!” This saying has been passed down through generations in Taiwan's Indigenous communities. The pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)—a member of the legume family native to India—was first domesticated around 3,500 years ago. It is believed to have arrived in Taiwan through the migrations of Austronesian peoples, taking root in communities across Pingtung County, Taitung County, and Hualien County. Each autumn, community members hang long strings of dried pigeonpeas from the eaves—a year's worth of sustenance suspended in a simple row of pods. The name of Hualien County's Fata'an community carries this history within it: in the Amis language, Fata'an means “pigeonpea.” This small bean holds the survival wisdom and cultural memory of Taiwan's Indigenous peoples.

Different Indigenous groups have their own legends surrounding the pigeonpea, but all reflect the plant's defining qualities: drought-tolerant, resilient in poor soil, and rich in protein, essential nutrients, and minerals. This image of toughness and abundance has long bound the pigeonpea to associations with warriors, vitality, and the continuation of lineage. The plant's indeterminate, continuously branching inflorescence means it blooms, fruits, and is harvested over an extended period—a near-continuous yield. In leaner times, dried pigeonpeas were an essential provision for hunters venturing out from the village.

From Traditional Food to Economic Crop

For Indigenous communities, nothing is more welcome after a long day's work than a bowl of hot pigeonpea and pork rib soup. Simmered low and slow with pork ribs and ginger, the pigeonpeas soften gradually, releasing their characteristic earthy fragrance and a gentle sweetness.

Because communities traditionally saved their own seeds, the pigeonpeas found across Taiwan's Indigenous villages vary considerably in color and patterning—brown, white, and even black varieties all exist. The Taitung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station has developed three cultivars: Taitung No. 1, which is white-skinned and has uniform harvest timing; Taitung No. 2, which is brown-skinned and suited to baking; and Taitung No. 3, which is black-skinned and has high antioxidant content.

Through the station's ongoing work in breeding, cultivation, and harvesting methods, pigeonpea production is steadily moving toward greater stability. In the not-too-distant future, this traditional Indigenous staple may yet overcome the labor-intensive costs of harvest—and fully live up to its warrior reputation.