15/02/2022
Only in Taiwan!
When asked, 'Who loves Taiwan the most?', farmers who cultivate jelly figs and the researchers who study fig reproduction will all reply: “The jelly-fig wasp!”
The Fig Wasp, as can be seen in this picture as small black dots inside this fruit, pollinates the jelly fig and can only survive and reproduce in Taiwan, giving Taiwan a unique product—the jelly fig, from which many will be introduced to the unique culinary dish - Aiyu Jelly (愛玉).
The wild jelly fig (愛玉子) (Ficus awkeotsang) is a vine that grows in the mountains and climbs up tree trunks in Taiwan. Like most fig species, it lives in symbiosis with its own variety of fig wasp, which acts as its own personal pollinator. Wild jelly-fig vines bear their best fruit high in the treetops. Harvest can get a bit dangerous.
Only in Taiwan....
As long as 20 years ago, farmers from Taiwan have attempted planting jelly-fig vines in mainland China and Southeast Asia, and even transported jelly-fig wasps from Taiwan to these places (kind of an invasive no-no, you know). But the wasps could not acclimatize themselves to these local conditions and were unable to achieve their mission of pollinating the jelly figs, and died of disease.
If you join us on some of our experiences, we head off to organic mountain farms and learn about these kinds of symbiotic relationships that occur in nature and about the people who are supporting the continuity of traditional farming practices.
#台灣 #台灣美食 #台灣甜點 #愛玉子 #愛玉
