Taro and bamboo shoots take center stage as the 11th Jiaxian Taro & Bamboo Shoot Festival kicks off on September 3

By Chi Bing-hui / Compiled and Reported

 

The taro from Jiaxian boasts delicate texture, sweet flavor, and a soft consistency, making it a premium variety renowned across Taiwan; meanwhile, the bamboo shoots are sweet, crisp, and rich in fiber, with moso bamboo shoots being the most common. Thus, Jiaxian has long been known as the “Hometown of Taro” and the “Source of Bamboo Shoots.” This year’s Jiaxian Taro & Bamboo Shoot Festival will grandly take place on September 3 and 4 in the Jiaxian Image Business District, welcoming everyone to come together and enjoy the delicious offerings.

Vice Mayor Chen Chi-yu stated that Jiaxian possesses key local specialties such as taro, bamboo shoots, and plums. Among them, the taro is famed across Taiwan for its quality, the bamboo shoots are healthy and ideal for cooking, and the plums aid digestion and help balance acidic body constitutions — all making them top choices for Mid-Autumn Festival gifts. Two years ago, Jiaxian suffered the massive impact of Typhoon Morakot, but today, it has resiliently risen again. The Jiaxian Bridge was reopened to traffic last year, restoring smooth external connections. The public is welcome to visit in groups to shop and help revive business opportunities in the reconstruction area.
 

The organizing committee noted that on September 3 and 4, they will prepare thousands of servings of taro ice and taro balls for free tasting, and will also launch fun competitions such as eating taro ice, weighing taro and bamboo shoots, and peeling bamboo shoots quickly. There will also be song and dance performances, band concerts, Taiwanese opera, and karaoke singing contests on-site. With a rich and entertaining program, the public is welcome to join in the festivities.