Taiwan bowl rice cake champion hits the market, Agriculture and Food Agency hopes average annual rice consumption will exceed 50 kg
To promote rice food culture, the Agriculture and Food Agency has partnered with convenience store operators to launch the "Fushan Champion Bowl Rice Cake," technically guided by last year's overall champion of the Bowl Rice Cake Championship, "Fushan Bowl Rice Cake." Each bowl uses 29 grams of indica rice Taichung Indica No. 17. Starting on the 29th, it will be sold at more than 3,000 convenience stores across Taiwan.
To promote rice food culture, the Agriculture and Food Agency has partnered with convenience store operators to launch the "Fushan Champion Bowl Rice Cake," technically guided by last year's overall champion of the Bowl Rice Cake Championship, "Fushan Bowl Rice Cake." Each bowl uses 29 grams of indica rice Taichung Indica No. 17. Starting on the 29th, it will be sold at more than 3,000 convenience stores across Taiwan, with the hope that through promoting processed rice foods, Taiwan's per capita annual rice consumption can return to more than 50 kg.
According to statistics from the Council of Agriculture, in Year 70 of the Republic of China, average per capita rice consumption was still 99 kg, but by Year 105 it had fallen to only 44.5 kg. In Year 106, the Agriculture and Food Agency held many events to vigorously promote rice foods, and consumption rose back to 45.4 kg, but it was still less than half of Year 70 of the Republic of China. Council of Agriculture statistics show that the total area of the two rice crops is still more than 270,000 hectares. In addition, because of the 140,000 tonnes of rice that must be imported each year after joining the WTO, after deducting domestic rice consumption, there is still a surplus of 200,000 tonnes each year.
Taking the champion bowl rice cake launched this time as an example, each bowl on average uses 29 grams of indica rice, and 1 metric tonne can make more than 34,000 bowls of bowl rice cake. Hu Zhongyi, Director-General of the Agriculture and Food Agency, said that if each of the more than 3,000 convenience stores sells 10 bowls, 1 metric tonne of rice can be used.
Hu Zhongyi said that making bowl rice cake always uses indica rice, which has more amylose, and its glycemic index is lower than that of other rice cakes, making it very suitable for the whole family to eat. The Agriculture and Food Agency is promoting bowl rice cake through convenience store channels not only in the hope of giving more people the chance to enjoy domestically produced rice foods, but also in the hope that the public can enjoy rice foods more conveniently, because the traditional method of making bowl rice cake is very complicated, from grinding the rice to preparing ingredients such as pork, egg yolk, and shiitake mushrooms, plus steaming it. For modern people this is too difficult, so it is hoped that through convenience store channels the public can also easily enjoy this delicious food.
Last year, the Agriculture and Food Agency invited 57 shops famous for bowl rice cake across Taiwan to hold the "Strongest Bowl Rice Cake Championship." Chief judge Cai Jifang also said that after tasting Fushan Bowl Rice Cake last year, because of its unique fried shallot aroma and soft, chewy cake texture, she could never forget it and kept wanting to find time to eat it, but now it can be bought and eaten at convenience stores, which is very convenient.
As for why it was only launched at the end of May this year after winning the award in October last year? Li Fushan, the owner of Fushan Bowl Rice Cake, said that for half a year he tasted countless bowl rice cakes, and even provided the recipe to the convenience store for trial production, and only then was the champion bowl rice cake launched, one that he could also approve of.
