Maqaw spice has both traditional and sexy appeal and great global potential, but it faces a crisis

Twist open the bottle cap, and the scents of ginger, lemon, and lemongrass rush out all at once. Take out the fruit from the bottle and bite into it, and it is full of peppery pungency, a strong clash of flavors shooting straight to the mind. This is the mountain pepper that indigenous peoples call the "black pearl of the forest," known in the Atayal language as "maqaw."

Maqaw was originally a traditional ingredient of indigenous peoples, and in recent years it has been widely used in dishes. In addition to its fascinating aroma, it has also been proven to have calming, anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, and other medical benefits, giving it great market potential. But maqaw depends on wild harvesting, and as demand has surged, reports of reckless cutting of maqaw trees have appeared frequently, and the number has decreased year by year. Adulterated maqaw can also be found on the market, and various chaotic practices are invading the mountains step by step and disrupting the market. "Upstream and Downstream" conducted in-depth interviews and produced a three-part series, hoping to find a path for the sustainable development of the maqaw industry. (To read the full series, please click here)

Promoting maqaw in food is only the first step; the key lies in connecting with tribal culture

Ma Yan-ping has taken maqaw to international exhibitions, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and others. "Maqaw pineapple cakes amazed everyone." For example, when exhibiting in Hong Kong, the four-day sales event was expected to run for four days, but it sold out on the first day. "They thought, how could Taiwan have such a special spice, and they were curious about where Taiwan is." Ma Yan-ping stressed that without industry in the tribes, there really are no job opportunities, and it is very difficult to stay in the tribes, so various maqaw products were developed, including maqaw pineapple cakes, maqaw rose salt, maqaw jerky, maqaw coffee, maqaw kaoliang liquor, maqaw essential oil, and more.

Many Michelin restaurants now use maqaw rose salt, and many restaurants in Taiwan are gradually using maqaw in cooking. In recent years, more and more people have come to know maqaw. "Promoting it in food is only the first step; what matters is the connection to tribal culture." Ma Yan-ping stressed, "Maqaw is Wulai's treasure, something left to us by our ancestors, and industry development must revolve around Atayal culture." To let the world know maqaw and the precious indigenous culture, there is still a long way to go, and it has only just begun. (To be continued in the series, please click to continue reading)

Series reading:

Three-part series on maqaw's charm and crisis

Maqaw's charm and crisis 03"Wild maqaw relies on wild harvesting, tree-cutting chaos is widespread, is artificial seedling cultivation feasible?