The shallots that grow in spring taste fresh and sweet, as pleasing as the season. Shallots have the fragrance of spring onion but with a less spicy taste. The root of shallots can be fried, an indispensable element in traditional Taiwanese cuisine. Fried shallots may taste strong, but other parts of shallots are much tender and sweet.
Pingxi District is the main producing area of shallots. Local citizen Chuen-Jang Huang was engaged in the car repair industry. Due to the transformation and downsizing of the company, he went back home and started farming. At the suggestion of his sister-in-law, he decided to plant shallots because they are suitable for the local climate. Chuen-Jang Huang was a shallots amateur farmer in the beginning. Difficulties and failures happened at first; for example, the fertilizer content was too high on rainy days; therefore, shallots could not stand well, the weather might be too hot for shallots to grow, or they couldn’t sprout in winter, etc. After years of exploration and experience, Chuen-Jang Huang owns his method now. Before planting, the aboveground parts of shallots should be trimmed, and shallots should be pruned and soaked to improve the germination rate and uniformity. At the same time, the soil is loosened in advance and covered with dirt after planting to increase soil temperature and promote germination speed. After stable production, consumers often praise his scallions for their fresh, sweet taste and excellent quality, which makes them feel a sense of accomplishment. Now his shallot garden can produce 150 to 200 kg of shallots per week. In addition to the regular customers who order shallots weekly, some restaurants are long-term customers.
Director Jeng-Ji Hu of Pingxi Farmers’ Association said shallots grown in Pingxi are particularly delicate in texture because of suitable weather. Shallots’ are safe and healthy because they are free from pests that do not need applications of pesticides and can be harvested all year. Shallots taste fresher in spring; they can eat directly as a salad or just cooked with scrambled eggs. The flavor and taste are limited in spring.
Wen Lee, the Commissioner of the Agriculture Department, said there are more high-quality agricultural products in New Taipei City. The Agriculture Department continues to provide subsidies for agricultural products to improve crop production and quality and lessen farmers’ production costs. Shallots are one of the representative products of spring. To buy fresh shallots, don’t hesitate to contact Pingxi Farmers’ Association at (02) 2495-1051. Everyone is welcome to visit Pingxi for a walk and tasty cuisine.
More Information:
Agriculture Department, New Taipei City Government Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Management Section Fu-Ling Yu / Chief Tel: 2960-3456 * 2980 Mobile: 0919-205-606