The Murcott Mandarin Legend: The Story Behind the Red Oranges
Mingzheng Village (Shibikeng) in Dongshi Township, Taichung, is located to the west of Dongshi Township, on the river-valley plain along the south bank of the mid-reach of the Da'an River and the adjoining sloping hills. Following Provincial Highway 3 toward Dongshi and Zhuolan, on the way to Zhuolan Township you can see a sign on the left reading "Shibikeng Murcott Mandarin Agricultural Park"; turn left immediately and you will arrive at Mingzheng Village.
Mingzheng Village is a typical Hakka village, and residents use "Dabu Hakka" as their main language of communication. Most residents make their living from farming, growing a variety of fruits such as citrus, top-grafted pears and peaches, among which Murcott mandarins account for the largest share.
"Murcott mandarin" was originally named Honey tagerine or Honeymurcott. Its variety originates from the world citrus master Mr. Swingle, who in 1913 in Florida, USA, bred and selected from a cross between a mandarin and a sweet orange the tangor class "Tangor" (the tankan of this province is also a kind of tangor). In 1922 Chales Murcott Smith first propagated and trial-planted it, and in 1928 the Indiana Nursery carried out a small amount of commercial propagation and named it "Honeymurcott". From 1952 onward this variety was widely planted, and in recent years it has been cultivated and produced around the world, such as in the United States, Japan, Australia and Brazil, where it is called "Honey tagerine''.
Taiwan's Murcott mandarin was introduced for trial planting from Florida, USA, in the 60th year of the Republic of China by Lin Pu, retired professor of the Department of Horticulture at National Taiwan University, and by the 72nd year of the Republic of China Professor Lin handed the buds to Mr. Hsu for grafting and cultivation in Mingzheng Village (Shibikeng), Dongshi (Note 1).
The Shibikeng Golden Legend - Murcott Mandarin
Under the patient care of citrus veteran Mr. Hsu, who overcame the various variables of an unfamiliar variety one by one, it was finally successfully commercialized and put on the market several years later. At that time the Murcott mandarin was able to be successfully launched on the market and establish the status of king of citrus; besides the excellent quality of the product itself, Mr. Hsu's persistence was also a key factor. In the 1980s, with its superior production quality, it several times broke through the 200 yuan/kg mark in the fresh-fruit wholesale market, causing a sensation at the time.
Mingzheng Village (Shibikeng) is situated on the Da'an River valley plain and the adjoining sloping land (Note 2), possessing unique climate and soil conditions. In earlier years it was an excellent production area for peach-grafted plums and rice. Under the advantageous price of Murcott mandarins and the vigorous promotion of Mr. Hsu Po-pang, the large river-valley plain and sun-facing slopes of this area were gradually converted to Murcott mandarins.
Under the leadership of the veterans, local farmers developed first-rate skills in cultivating Murcott mandarins. Thanks to the uniquely favorable natural geographical conditions and uniform field management, the Murcott mandarins nurtured in Shibikeng greatly surpass in quality those of their native place, the United States, and of overseas producing countries. Whether in appearance and color, the bright red degree of the flesh, the quality sugar-acid ratio (sugar degree can reach above 15 or 16 degrees Brix, acidity 0.6% or 0.8%), or the tenderness of the flesh, all are of the very best choice, with a rich mouthfeel that is sweet, fragrant and mellow (besides the marvelous sweet-and-sour taste dancing on the tip of the tongue, the sweet, fragrant, smooth and full multi-layered perfect feast is worth savoring again and again), fully displaying the characteristic of surpassing the original. This phenomenon even made Professor Lin exclaim: How amazing!
Professor Lin's wish in those years was to see golden fruit flourishing and dense over mountains and valleys, so he named it "Murcott mandarin". Now this beautiful golden legend has finally come true in Shibikeng.
Left photo/ Murcott blossoms Right photo/ Fully ripe Murcott mandarins
The Murcott mandarin that crossed the ocean to arrive in Taiwan has taken root here and shown vigorous vitality. At the end of the year, under the warm winter sun, from the river-valley plain to the hilltops, it flashes its moving golden radiance; this is the most enchanting season in Shibikeng every year. If the Murcott could know, it would surely be willing to regard Shibikeng as its second hometown; it brings here the economic energy sufficient to raise children, and the lovely farmers of Shibikeng repay it with wholehearted care.
At present Shibikeng has the largest professional production area in the province, but for many years, because Taiwan has not guided and implemented planned agriculture of "the right crop for the right place", this has often caused a crazed rush across Taiwan to plant some new agricultural product, and Murcott mandarins also face this situation. In recent years Murcott mandarins of uneven quality have appeared on the market one after another across the province; substandard Murcott mandarins not only have thick, rough peel and waxy-yellow color, but also insufficient sugar-acid ratio and a bland, tasteless flavor.
Yet, as if by fate, substandard products always easily strike and erode the survival price of excellent products. Add to that the WTO, like a "Godzilla" kept by imperialism, and agricultural product prices, like startled pigeons, suddenly plunge, able only to flap their wings in panic, completely losing the instinct for graceful flight.
What is comforting is that in this beautiful hometown, this small village on the river-valley plain, there is a group of kind, diligent Hakka farmers who passionately and single-mindedly cultivate plump, sweet Murcott mandarins gleaming with a golden luster; this moving flavor is found in this one place and nowhere else.
Following Provincial Highway 3, turn in at the bank of the Da'an River toward Shibikeng; under the winter afternoon sun, brightly glistening Murcott mandarins can be seen dancing in the breeze everywhere. Step a little closer, and you may find that they are smiling at you. Visit Shibikeng, the hometown of the Murcott, to appreciate the simple Hakka customs, taste the finest Murcott flavor, and listen to the Murcott veterans recount bit by bit the stories behind the harvest.... "Returning fully laden" is the standard equipment Shibikeng gives its visitors.
Notes:
(1) Professor Lin Pu, father of Taiwan's Murcott, personally presented a plaque reading "King of Murcott" to Mr. Hsu, to commend his efforts and success as a pioneer of the Murcott mandarin. After more than a decade of cultivation and learning, the quality of the Murcott mandarins produced locally (Shibikeng) has all reached the perfect standard of the "King of Murcott".
(2) Why does Shibikeng, situated on a mid-altitude river-valley plain and sloping land, have a unique terroir environment? It is because the Da'an River, originating from the Xueshan Range, nourishes this land and also sends down the coolness of Xueshan; along the river mouth, the ocean wind has not forgotten this fertile soil full of vitality either. The breath of the mountains and the taste of the sea happen to meet right here; here there is at the same time the moisture of northern Taiwan and the bright sun of southern Taiwan; here there is not the cold rain of northern Taiwan nor the heat of southern Taiwan. From the spring-equinox season, when the Murcott blossoms give off a unique intoxicating scent, begins a whole year of racing against the climate: fruit thinning, sun protection, pest and disease control, water control, soil nutrient ratio adjustment (including the popular "organic farming method of drinking milk and yogurt"), plant growth regulation - these field management tasks are only our basic homework.
Making good use of the natural terroir, we insist that high-quality Murcott mandarins must receive the shining of the winter sun, the blowing of cold winds, the moistening of cold dew and full ripening on the tree, be harvested at the beginning of spring, and then undergo the mellowing of post-bagging ripening; this is the ultimate weapon by which the enchanting Shibikeng nurtures the finest Murcott mandarins. Perhaps it is also a gift that Heaven gave to Shibikeng! About 70 percent of the cultivated land of Shibikeng's diligent farmers belongs to public riverbed overflow land and the experimental forest farm, and the tough-necked Hakka farmers, in the disadvantage and predicament of being unable to obtain land ownership, still live happily and contentedly with their fate, carving out a piece of sky above their own heads.