Let Mushrooms Heal Us Taking a Close Look at Functional Foods as Well as Food Materials of Old and New Generations

Nowadays people are getting more and more conscious about health, but how to eat to stay healthy and get enough nutrition usually bothers office workers. Mushrooms are the common food material in our daily life, and do you know mushrooms are great stress relief food?

Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan has worked on analyzing functions of local Taiwan foods and their functional components in scientific ways for years. The scientific results are to make the public aware of the health benefits of local Taiwan foods. Mushrooms are common in our daily life. According to the researches made by TARI, mushrooms are not only rich in fibers and protein, but also great stress relief materials.

In this “Let Mushroom Heal Us” special, TARI commissioned Creative Education and Management Foundation (CEMF) to promote the functional foods and mushrooms from Xinshe Taichung. And our trip was arranged accordingly. To turn around the impression that mushrooms can only be condiments for home cooking, an introduction of other mushrooms is shared with the visitors. The appeal is to combine “agriculture”, “food” and a sense of aesthetics so to create a diversified combinations of functional food applications.

Xinshe District in Taichung is a destination for agritour in all seasons. Asides from the most famous Floral Sea in Xinshe, the Mushroom Street (Xiezhong Street) is also well known. In addition to the mushrooms often used in home cooking, are there other kinds of mushrooms in Xinshe? What are the health benefits of these mushrooms? Strolling in Xinshe District where many mountains stand, I felt the heat was cooled down after a pouring rain in the afternoon. Following the guided tour led by locals and experiencing their daily life, I felt I had a healing break.

Bailienzun was designed by the Japanese, “Isodenn Kennyuu” and these aqueducts are different from those in the plains because in the mountainous district, tunnels were dug; in the river area, bridges were built. And these aqueducts are now the symbol that local people commemorate their origins.

Our guide, Mr. Changlong LIU, from Bailienzun Community Empowerment Association introduced us local history and cultural background. The statute behind is the father of Bailienzun- a Japanese technician “Isodenn Kennyuu”

In the Japanese Occupation Period, they developed the sugar manufacturing industry in Taiwan and the seed development station on the tableland. But the tableland was short of water, therefore, it was necessary to develop the source of water. After some field trips, Bailien Highland in the upstream of Dajia River was chosen.

In order to introduce water from Dajia River to the seed development station, developers utilized the “siphon” theory for the make of Bailienzun.

In Bailienzun Memorial Park, visitors can find historical records written on the stone walls, with Mr. LIU’s explanation, we got a rudimentary understanding of the nearby environment.

Records including the locations and villages of indigenous people and Han people in Qing dynasty, the seed development station and Malipu incident, a certificate of Bailienzun and the historical water facilities nearby.

Together with Wushantou Reservior constructed by the technician “Hachidenn Ichi”, father of “the Great Aqueduct of Jiayi and Tainan”, they are both made by the trailblazers who lay the irrigation foundation for Taiwan. We wish such a good story will be passed down and remembered.

Liang has a teaching post in Xinshe Vocational High School and he passes down the agricultural knowledge and skills by teaching students how to grow mushrooms every semester. Visitors entering the mushroom farm will learn the growth stages of mushrooms, and the farm is open all year round for mushroom picking.

Asides from mushroom picking, LIang’s mushroom farm offers many products, the main one is dried mushrooms, fresh mushrooms (availability depends on the harvest of the day), processed products such as snacks, the wasabi flavored dried mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms are a good bargain, this big package only cost me NT$50, but the quantity is 2 to 3 times more than those sold in Taipei. Really a good deal!

Owner of Liang’s Mushroom Farm, Wenliang Hou, originally was solely a producer and sold mushrooms to wholesalers and shops. But after Earthquake 911, Xinshe District was instructed by the government so that it not only helds the Floral Sea Festival but also features its mushroom industry. And Liang's Mushroom Farm’s business model was turned from production to experience activities, introduction and sales of mushrooms so to have more diversities in the mushroom industry.

Howgu Mushroom Garden, located at the end of the mushroom street, is a good choice to pick, taste and buy mushrooms. Mr. Zhuang, the owner, referred to “Shima Kitchen” in Seto-naikai, Japan, and conceived of the idea for the garden, where the chef showed and aesthetic afternoon tea activities were held.

Coming to Howgu Mushroom Garden to experience the fun of mushroom picking and have a look at the ecology, taste the mushroom cookies and refreshments cooked during the activity. The fresh, tasty and diversified mushroom products from Xinshe Taiwan, known for the natural and healthy properties are great souvenirs.

The event served mushroom cakes to pair with the afternoon tea; a photography exhibition, a guided tour of the Garden, as well as the mushroom illustration and the introduction of the functional benefits made this afternoon informative and sensational.

It was called an aesthetic afternoon tea, but where were the aesthetic elements? The chef “cooked, sautéed, fried, and marinated” the mushrooms to satisfy the participants' taste buds.

Listening to stories about plants in the family cactaceae told by the owner, we also found many rare species in these two secret green houses. I made a small bonsai of the succulents and brought it home to make my home greener.

The aesthetic experience, including tasting scrumptious dishes and making a small bonsai embodied my sense of beauty, brought this activity to a perfect ending.