Pingtung farmers grow new jicama variety resembling pears
Pingtung farmers grow new jicama variety resembling pears
2026-04-10
To combat climate change, the Jiuru Township Farmers’ Association in Pingtung County experimented with a new kind of jicama that’s three times the size of the standard variety. Weighing in at a whopping 2 kilograms each, they’re not only an appealing shape, but taste better, too. They’re a bit like pears, and can even be blended into a juice with honey for a refreshing thirst-quencher.
The skin on this enormous new type of jicama can be peeled off by hand. It’s three times as large as the standard variety and has a finer texture, resembling a pear.
- It’s like a pear.
- Does it seem like you’re eating a fruit?
- It really is like a pear. Just not as sweet.
Put some slices in a juicer with plenty of honey, blend it up, and you can get a refreshing juice for the summer.
Member of public
Since it has honey and the jicama itself isn’t that sweet, I think it’s pretty good.
Member of public
I suppose it’s all right. I’d say the jicama with the honey might need something else to blend the flavors together better.
Pingtung’s Jiuru Township is known for its melons and fruits, but extreme weather has made them harder to grow. The local farmers’ association therefore recruited three famers to try growing underground tubers instead. For the first trial, they chose jicama, known as the “underground pear.” After four months, the results have been promising.
Kung Tai-wen
Farmers’ association general manager
Each one weighs about two-and-a-half kilos. At a supermarket, they currently sell for NT$49 per 0.6 kilograms. This variety has already been around for two years. Aside from the Taipei agricultural corporation, we also sell at supermarkets. Prices have been relatively stable over the past two years.
As jicama can last for a year without spoiling, the association said it’s often used with other foods, such as oden and meatballs to add texture, or blanched to use in cold salads. It can also be used in soup or stewed with pork ribs, making it an extremely versatile crop. However, it’s important to keep in mind that only the tuber is edible. The stem, leaves, pods, and seeds are all poisonous and should never be eaten.
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#jicama #tuber #crop #Pingtung #farmers #climatechange #juice #pear #agriculture #produce
屏東九如農會成功種植新品種豆薯生吃口感像水梨
2026-04-10
為了對抗氣候變遷，屏東縣九如鄉農會嘗試種植新品種的豆薯，結果種出比一般豆薯大三倍的豆薯，一顆3到4台斤，不只形狀漂亮，吃起來口感也更好，生吃就像是水梨，還有人把它加蜂蜜打成果汁來喝，清涼消暑。
直接用手就能把皮剝掉，這顆巨大的豆薯就是新品種的豆薯，比一般豆薯大上三倍，切開來，果肉也更細緻，外觀看起來就像是水梨。
-覺得像水梨。
-好像在吃水果?
-真的，真的很像水梨，但是沒那麼甜。
把它放進果汁機裡，加入滿滿的蜂蜜，一起打碎，就是一道清涼消暑的果汁。
[[民眾]]
“因為有加蜂蜜，然後它本身不會太甜，所以就覺得喝起來算是還不錯。"
[[民眾]]
“原則上的話是還可以啦，應該說豆薯的味道跟加的那個蜂蜜的味道，應該還要再找更契合的、溫和的融入在一起。"
屏東九如鄉向來是瓜果聖地，但在極端天候下，瓜果愈來愈難種。農會於是找來三位農民，嘗試改種地下球根類，第一波就選擇有地下水梨之稱的豆薯，經過4個月試種，效果非常好。
[[九如農會總幹事 龔泰文]]
“大概一顆都4.5台斤左右，它的價格目前1台斤，大概我們超市是49塊。這個出來已經有2年的時間，在北農以外我們還有在超市零售，就這2個點，這2年來價格都蠻穩定的。"
農會表示，豆薯可以放一年都不會壞，因此常被拿來加工，添加在黑輪、丸子裡增加口感，或者川燙當成涼拌菜來吃，煮湯或燉排骨也行，可說是相當多樣化。不過要注意的是，豆薯的食用部位是塊根，而它的莖葉、豆莢、種子都有毒，千萬不能吃。
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