
Locally grown Dulan cacti used to make food, soap
To enjoy cactus, people usually go to Penghu. But Taitung’s Dulan also has it! Five years ago, farmer Lin Chung-chou dove headfirst into the wonderful world of cacti. At first he was just trying it out, but that led to a cultivation of an interest. He makes use of the east coast’s uniquely advantageous geography to grow many kinds of cacti, and has even come up with different products using the crop.
Freshly picked cactus is washed, peeled, and diced before tossing with fresh lettuce, onion, and bell peppers in dressing to make a refreshing and healthy salad. Pair it with a glass of bright green cactus juice, its sweetly sour notes perfect for quenching summer thirst.
Aside from serving it fresh, cactus can also be sun-dried and sliced to cook with chicken drumsticks. The pot simmers gently over low heat, giving the soup a truly unique flavor.
Lin Chung-chou
Cactus farmer
The east coast is mountainous and we don’t have much water, so it’s very well suited for it. On top of that, our volcanic soil provides the ideal conditions for cacti, so it thrives extremely well here.
Five years ago, Taitung farmer Lin Chung-chou started growing cacti in Dulan. At first, he just wanted to try it out. He never thought he’d cultivate an interest along with it. Lin scoured literature from Taiwan and abroad to discover that every part of the plant is valuable.
Lin Chung-chou
Cactus farmer
The amazing part about cacti is that their lobes can be eaten like vegetables and the fruit can be eaten as fruit. And the entire plant is decorative.
Lin also came up with innovative uses for cactus, like in soap and sausages. Whether it’s eaten or used, cactus is fit for the job. Lin’s 1-hectare farm has over 1,000 cacti of all shapes and sizes.
Lin Chung-chou
Cactus farmer
At the moment, the main ones we grow are about 20 different kinds. We keep growing different ones, like ones you can’t eat that are only ornamental. As we kept adding we have upwards of 100 kinds. And keep adding more.
Next time you visit Taitung, you can enjoy many cactus delicacies while also appreciating all kinds of ornamental cacti. If you’re lucky, you might even see them flowering!
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2025-10-02