Hualien is nearly 140 km long. Fuli is the southmost township as well as the best rice production area in Hualien. People in Fuli started growing rice …
Introduction
Hualien is nearly 140 km long. Fuli is the southmost township as well as the best rice production area in Hualien. People in Fuli started growing rice during the Japanese Colonial Period. The insolation duration in Fuli is relatively shorter. Some scholars think that is why the quality of rice in Fuli is better. Most of the paddy fields are also located at the hillside of the Coastal Mountains, east of Xiuguluan River. Studies show that the vertisol here is suitable for growing rice because the soil has higher viscidity. Irrigated by the water through the Maifan Rock Formation, the rice is of excellent quality. The soil near the Central Mountains is mostly sandy. There is a huge difference in the quality of the soil, therefore, the quality of rice grown in these two places is different.
Over the past 40 years, the most recommended rice in Fuli is Kaohsiung No.139; the oldest rice in Taiwan, but it is only grown in Eastern Taiwan. Popular in Japan, the rice is white inside and doesn’t look very good, but it tastes superb and is thus nicknamed the “ugly beauty.” A few years ago, Milk Queen, with technology transfer from Japan, came to belong to the newer Koshihikari kind. Peculiar kinds of rice often appear in Japanese rice contests. The first prize would undergo optimization. Milk Queen is one of them. This rice is given the name “Milk Queen” due to its milky color. For farmers to have sufficient time to grow soybeans to improve the soil during the fallow period after the two harvests each year, Milk Queen, with a shorter growing season, is used.
Features of Agricultural Tourism
Rice
In order to promote rice products, Fuli Township Farmers’ Association began to process rice products from the rice bran. So far, it has amassed a dazzling array of rice snacks, rice noodles, rice flour and other products. It also uses rice flour to make cakes, raw milk swiss rolls, and others. The taste of bread and other products is no way inferior to the taste of flour products, allowing rice to transcend the image of traditional cakes.
In addition to edibles, “experience activities” are also the focus of the Fuli Township Farmers’ Association which also provides counsel to local farmers. Due to the low number of trains and inconvenient transportation in Fuli, the marketing prowess of local businesses is not strong. The peasant association has become a contact window for most of the rural tourism areas in the township. Individual tourists locate the farmers directly, and tour groups can buy rice at the peasant association. The DIY activities of egg rolls, muffins and fried rice make Fuli Township a new bright spot in Hualien.
In addition to edibles, “experience activities” are also the focus of the Fuli Township Farmers’ Association which also provides counsel to local farmers. Due to the low number of trains and inconvenient transportation in Fuli, the marketing prowess of local businesses is not strong. The peasant association has become a contact window for most of the rural tourism areas in the township. Individual tourists locate the farmers directly, and tour groups can buy rice at the peasant association. The DIY activities of egg rolls, muffins and fried rice make Fuli Township a new bright spot in Hualien.
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