Folk uses for Cordia dichotoma include removing ‘mango toxicity’
Folk uses for Cordia dichotoma include removing ‘mango toxicity’
2026-07-17
It’s the perfect time to eat mango, but it’s also the season for another local specialty: pobuzi, or Cordia dichotoma. Farming families used to prepare the caper-like fruit by hand to add flavor to stir-fry, steamed fish, or chicken soup. But there’s also a folk rumor that the enzymes in pobuzi can counteract the toxicity of mango, and should be eaten after enjoying the summer fruit.
A chicken stews in a clay pot over a charcoal fire as a chef packs the bird with pickled vegetables, instantly improving the aroma.
Mama Tsai
Farmer
Years ago, we made this pobuzi chicken soup over a charcoal fire, stewed for three hours. Everyone loved it.
Traditional pobuzi, or Cordia dichotoma, can be added to chicken soup, or fried up with eggs in an omelette.
Mama Tsai
Farmer
Pobuzi with steamed fish or egg is sweet and savory, perfect with rice.
But preparing pobuzi is far from easy. Farmers used to take advantage of good weather during the height of summer to harvest the fruit.
- It has to be washed about three times.
- So it needs to be washed thoroughly before using it?
- Right.
Harvested pobuzi needs to be washed a number of times before adding young ginger, soy paste, and other ingredients following a tried-and-true pickling recipe. They used to be pressed into solid blocks, but these days they’re jarred in brine.
- It’s a lot of work. We’ve been here since 5am.
Pobuzi shares a harvest season with mango. According to folk wisdom, it can even neutralize the toxicity of mango.
Mama Tsai
Farmer
Some people get itchy skin when they eat mango. But due to the excellent enzymes in pobuzi, it can relieve the itchiness. Nature’s bounty is incredible.
Whether this detoxification theory holds true is a matter of opinion, but the habit of eating pobuzi after mango has allowed this complex, old-school flavor to stand the test of time.
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#pobuzi #Cordiadichotoma #farmers #folkwisdom #mangoseason #culinarytradition
破布子盛產季節妙用 坊間流傳老智慧”可解芒果毒性"
2026-07-17
吃芒果正當時，不過有種傳統食材，也正是產季。以往農家總會手工製作的破布子，不僅能炒菜、蒸魚，還能增添雞湯風味。尤其坊間流傳，破布子的酵素，能解芒果毒性，吃完芒果吃點破布子，可是老人家的秘傳智慧。
烏骨雞放入甕裡，在炭火上燉煮，雞肚子裡更塞進特別醃漬的食材，讓香氣瞬間升級。
[[農場主人 蔡媽]]
“多年前我們這個破布子雞湯，用炭火燉，燉三小時之後，出菜的時候大家都很喜歡”
古早風味的破布子，不僅能加入雞湯裡，也能下鍋和雞蛋一起炒，做成破布子煎蛋。
[[農場主人 蔡媽]]
“破布子蒸魚，還有破布子煎蛋，又甘甜又下飯”
但破布子的製作過程可不簡單，過去農家們總會趁著好天氣，就在盛夏時刻，採收破布子。
- 要洗差不多三遍
- 要洗乾淨再去煮就對了
- 對
採收下來的破布子，得清洗好幾遍，再加入嫩薑、蔭油等，利用黃金比例的古法醃漬，早期做成餅型，如今會醃醬再裝罐，延續這傳統美味。
- 很費工啊，早上五點就來了
而且破布子和芒果的產季一樣，老一輩就流傳說，破布子能解芒果毒。
[[農場主人蔡媽]]
“我們如果吃芒果，有的人會皮膚癢，因為破布子的酵素很好，可以解決皮膚癢，產物很奧妙”
食療解毒的說法見仁見智，但吃了芒果要吃破布子的習慣，也讓這款作工繁複的古早味，歷久不衰。
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