Taichung Waipu Taro and Crab Wine Festival Promotes Local Cuisine

Waipu District in Taichung is known for its high-quality agricultural products. The Taichung City Agriculture Bureau guided the Waipu District Office in holding the "2017 Waipu District Rice, Taro, Hairy Crab and Water Bamboo Industry and Culture Activity" on the 29th at the park under the high-speed rail bridge next to Shitou Park in Buzi Community, using "Taro and Crab Wine Festival in Waipu" as the theme to market its distinctive agricultural products.

Legislative Yuan Vice President Tsai Chi-chang said that autumn is exactly the season when hairy crabs are fat and delicious, yet few people know that the hairy crabs farmed in Waipu are of very good quality. In fact, many discerning gourmets come to Waipu to order hairy crabs, and demand almost exceeds supply every year. He also said that in recent years Taiwan, China has had very high requirements for food safety, and by holding marketing activities locally to promote local agricultural products, farmers' incomes can be increased, and people across the country can also eat delicious, safe and healthy ingredients.

Wang Jui-ching, chief secretary of the Agriculture Bureau, said that the Waipu District Farmers' Association has held the Waipu Taro and Crab Wine Festival for three consecutive years, combining local community leisure agriculture and holding agricultural product promotion activities, with good results over the years. Because Waipu has abundant water from the Daan River, the Agriculture Bureau has recently been actively guiding the conversion of second-crop rice fields to water bamboo with high economic value, which has now gradually been harvested, and the public is encouraged to try it fresh.

On the day of the event, in addition to booths selling distinctive agricultural products, there were also taro dishes for the public to taste, as well as local community performances, patchwork bag and raffle activities and windmill painting DIY, showing the flavor of Waipu.