It turns out that the bowl of transparent, refreshingly cool aiyu jelly that Taiwanese people take for granted in summer actually holds such a high status in the global culinary world!

Aiyu is a plant variety endemic to Taiwan. It grows naturally in the mid-to-low altitude mountain regions of the Central Mountain Range, at elevations between 800 to 1,800 meters, with peak harvest season from August to December. While the main production area is Alishan in Chiayi County, it can also be found in Kaohsiung City and Taitung County.

In 1921, Taiwanese historian Lien Ya-tang recorded the discovery of aiyu in The General History of Taiwan: During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, a merchant was drinking water by a stream in Chiayi County when he noticed jelly-like substances on the water's surface. He also saw fruits falling from trees into the water, so he picked up the fruits and took them home to wash with water. Immediately, jelly-like substances appeared, and they tasted very good. This merchant had his daughter, "Aiyu," sell it on the streets, and this delicacy came to be called "aiyu jelly."

Becoming the World's Only One, Thanks to the World's Only "Aiyu Wasp"

Why does aiyu exist only in Taiwan? The answer lies in a remarkable case of biological interdependence. The aiyu fruit, a dioecious fig species, depends entirely on the "aiyu wasp (or fig wasp)" for pollination—a tiny insect that exists nowhere else on Earth but Taiwan. Only the female aiyu fruits that receive successful pollination from these wasps can produce the gel.

The aiyu wasp's extreme environmental sensitivity and limited flight range have confined it permanently to Taiwan's mountainous regions. This endemic pollinator has secured aiyu's position as a truly unique global phenomenon.

The process of making aiyu is quite special: first, the fruits are sun-dried and split open to extract the seeds. The aiyu seeds are then placed in a mesh bag and rubbed in water, which releases a gel-like substance. The result resembles jelly, and when mixed with honey, lemon syrup, and crushed ice, it becomes the refreshing summer treat known as "aiyu ice."

Taiwan's globally unique aiyu has achieved breakthrough developments beyond its role as a low-calorie dessert. In 2022, the Council of Agriculture (now Ministry of Agriculture) published the results of six years of research in the authoritative international journal Antioxidants. Using whole-seed embryo extraction technology, researchers obtained aiyu seed extract with antioxidant functional components that far exceed those of blueberries, along with anti-inflammatory phytosterol compounds. Aiyu is poised to enter the global health supplement market with its unique competitive advantage.