Hi, guys! I’m Katie. Hi!大家好！我是凱蒂
I’m now here at Sinshih District. 我現在正在新市區
When we think of wax apples, 講到蓮霧
what normally comes into our minds 大家的印象是不是都是這種
is this red wax apple. 紅通通的蓮霧呢
But this is not what we’re going to talk about today. 但它不是我們今天的主角
Today, we’re going to talk about this! 今天的主角是這個
It’s a white wax apple. 它是白蓮霧
If you visit Sinshih, 來到新市區
you’ll find white wax apples everywhere. 你會發現它無所不在
Come on. Let’s go check out this special fruit! 走吧 我們一起去認識這個特別的水果
White wax apples were commonly seen 白蓮霧在臺灣早期
in early Taiwan society. 可是相當常見的水果
It’s a fruit our parents grew up with. 也是許多長輩們的兒時回憶
But in 1960s, 但民國50年後
due to serious insect pest disasters, 因為嚴重病蟲災害
soil acidification and land development, 土壤酸化以及土地開發
white wax apples gradually disappeared. 白蓮霧逐漸銷聲匿跡
A few decades ago, 新市10幾年前
People in Sinshih started the efforts to preserve white wax apples. 為了保存白蓮霧的文化
They saved the lives 搶救了許多
of many hundred-year-old white wax apple trees 百年以上的白蓮霧老樹
and encouraged farmers to grow 並開始鼓勵農民種植
traditional varieties rather than improved varieties. 無改良的傳統品種
Each year, people in Sinshih hold the White Wax Apple Festival 甚至每一年還會舉辦白蓮霧節
to promote the white wax apples 透過活動
and let more people know them. 將新市區的白蓮霧發揚出去
White wax apples in Sinshih are famous. 新市區的白蓮霧節非常有名
In addition to making this local fruit 除了讓在地水果
known to the public, 有更多的曝光機會
people here have come up with 還結合創新的料理方式
many innovative recipes 讓傳統的白蓮霧透過更多方法
to further extend the special value of this traditional fruit. 延續它的特色與價值
The White Wax Apple Festival 而白蓮霧節
provides a stage for local farmers. 也是在地農民的伸展舞台
It brings people together to local agricultural products 凝聚大家對農特產的向心力
and contribute to the development of local community. 一同為這個地區展現在地特色
We can see that people in Sinshih 我們能看到
tried to promote white wax apples with series of activities. 新市區透過活動將白蓮霧發揚光大
And we can also know more about 也瞭解它
the crises white wax apples encountered in the past. 在過去曾經面臨消失的危機
But what exactly is a white wax apple? 究竟白蓮霧的特色是什麼
Does it taste different from a wax apple? 吃起來又與一般紅蓮霧不同在哪
Let’s go check it out! 我們現在就一起去看看
Standing behind me are planted 在我後面的是
white wax apple trees. 人工種植的白蓮霧樹
They’re different from the hundred-year-old trees in the community. 不同於在社區看到的白蓮霧百年老樹
Planted trees all shorter, and it’s easier to harvest wax apples from them. 人工種植的樹較矮方便採取
Look at these little trees. 一株一株的小樹
Aren’t they cute? 是不是很可愛呢
It’s difficult to grow white wax apples 白蓮霧是不易種植的水果
because the season for them is summer. 它的產季在夏季
In case of storms or torrential rains, 如果遇到風災或雨災
white wax apples are vulnerable 脆弱的白蓮霧
and will all fall to the ground. 就會掉滿地都是
What’s worse, insect pests 而蚊蟲災害又讓這個
make it even harder to mass produce these fragile fruits. 原本就不易照顧的水果更難以量產
This is why white wax apples are so rare. 因此白蓮霧非常珍貴
It’s really difficult to grow beautiful ones. 要種漂亮是一門學問
White wax apples in Sinshih District 最早新市區白蓮霧的由來
can be traced back to the 17 th century, 是17世紀
when the Dutch introduced them from Java to Tainan. 由荷蘭人從爪哇引進臺南
At that time, white wax apples could be seen everywhere. 當時各處都能見到白蓮霧
People in Sinshih continued growing and promoting this fruit. 新市區也持續種植與推動
As a result, white wax apples have become an important local product. 白蓮霧就成了重要的在地特產
White wax apples are a childhood memory shared by many locals. 白蓮霧是許多人小時候的共同回憶
When they bloomed, 每逢蓮霧開花
bees would gather around, 蜜蜂飛舞的時候
and white wax apples were all over the ground. 遍地都是白蓮霧果實
Kids would pick them up 之前許多小孩在上學的途中
and enjoy them on the way to school. 都會一邊撿一邊享用這個美味的水果
In the past, white wax apples 白蓮霧在過去
were a common fruit found in many families. 是許多人的家常水果
Simply wash it a bit, and you can eat it. 稍微清洗一下就可以直接吃
It tastes different 白蓮霧吃起來
from regular wax apples. 真的一般的紅蓮霧不一樣
It’s crunchy and a little sour and sweet at the same time. 它咬起來很清脆又帶著淡淡的酸甜
The light texture is very special. 清爽的口感真的很特別
It’s not too sweet, and it’s juicy. 不會膩又很多汁
No wonder people here love it so much. 難怪這麼受當地人喜歡
From harvesting the fruits to holding promotional activities, 新市區從採收到發展特色活動
we can feel 都可以感受到
the emphasis and efforts local people have put on the white wax apples. 他們對白蓮霧的用心與推廣
When you visit Sinshih, 如果來到新市
don’t miss out this special fruit! 一定要來嚐嚐這個招牌水果