About This Issue
Fruits may be the most delightful of all agricultural products. The colorful displays at market stalls resemble scattered rainbows, constantly sending waves of joy at first sight. The rich, sweet fragrance fills the air, and the burst of juicy sweetness in the mouth sparks a continuous chain of happiness, like fireworks endlessly blooming. In Taiwan, each season brings its own surprising fruits, earning the island the reputation of a “fruit kingdom,” a source of pride for its people. But has it always been this way?
During the Dutch and Spanish period in the 17th century, global species exchanges from the Age of Exploration brought a variety of fruits to Taiwan. While not all could take root successfully, the fruits that adapted to local conditions found a home in different corners of the island, becoming part of the “local” bounty. Yet under the Qing dynasty, the fruit industry had yet to truly flourish. Although regional specialties gradually emerged, most were only sufficient for local consumption. Even the export of pineapple fiber, a much-needed material for Chinese summer cloth, yielded little profit, and processed products such as preserved fruits largely relied on imports.
The Japanese colonial period was pivotal for the commercialization and internationalization of Taiwan’s fruit industry. Under the framework of “Agricultural Taiwan,” the colonial government paid close attention to cultivation and production. Through improvements in quality and yield, Taiwan gradually transformed traditional agricultural products into modern commodities. By processing, marketing, and interacting with the world through its fruits, Taiwan steadily earned its place as a “fruit kingdom.”
The global journey of the “旺來” pineapple illustrates both the blessings and challenges of globalization. Interestingly, to secure the pineapple canning industry, the “Kaimana” variety was imported from Hawaii. After pests and diseases decimated southern plantations, the locally established “native” variety became crucial for rescue, exemplifying human intervention in natural evolution. Selective breeding thus became a solid backbone of Taiwan’s fruit industry, and the surviving Kaimana variety evolved into Taiwan’s own “local” pineapple.
Bananas, native to Taiwan, also overcame challenges of storage and transport to achieve global distribution. The development of the banana industry was closely tied to Japan, creating cultural memories that marked the era in both Taiwan and Japan. During the colonial period, while Taiwanese oranges were “exported” within the territory, they faced complex dual inspections. Compared to modern circumstances, the difficulty of exporting back then serves as a revealing historical lesson.
The abundant harvests spurred the fresh fruit and canned fruit industries and further boosted the preserved fruit industry. Combined with plentiful sugar and sea salt, these industries were a perfect match. By making full use of by-products to create popular commodities, the industry also anticipated modern sustainable practices. As fruit processing evolved, local produce transformed into international trade pioneers, giving rise to modern commercial packaging designs and reflecting the cultural diversity of Taiwan at the time.
Throughout the making of a “fruit kingdom,” the Dutch asserted authority by embracing local fruit trees and introducing tropical species from similar climates; China attempted cultivation with mysterious imperial “Da Nei seeds” but was unimpressed with Taiwanese varieties; Japan planted fruit trees in imperial gardens. The differing approaches of old and emerging empires to their territories left distinct cultural imprints on the fruits themselves. Today, as a self-determined fruit kingdom, Taiwan continues to contemplate its identity, hoping that this blessed land will forever remain a paradise of happiness and fruit.
ISBN 9772518947009 04
