Walk into the Colorful Sea of Red Quinoa Blossoms – Jinfeng Township Red Quinoa Food and Agricultural Tour

Do you know why red quinoa is known as the “ruby of the grains?” Get to know this precious grain before we embark on this journey! Red quinoa is one of the traditional crops grown by the aboriginal people. This food source has become popular in recent years due to its high nutritional qualities and is known as one of the “three precious grains” in Taitung. Red quinoa is drought tolerant and produces full and nutritional kernels that are rich in iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and other minerals. The red quinoa contains two times the amount of protein found in white rice and has six times the fiber of sweet potatoes, making it a power food that is very beneficial to the human body. Under the Taitung County Government’s hard work, farmers in Taitung have been growing fields of red quinoa in Daren, Dawu, Taimali, and Jinfun Townships, making Taitung the top producers of red quinoa in Taiwan.(Photo Credit: IG@sinfongfarm)

Jialan Village in Jinfeng Township is one of the best locations to enjoy red quinoa blossoms. Jialan Village is home to the Paiwan and Rukai people. The village is filled with one-of-a-kind traditional buildings and tribal culture. The village was one of the hardest-hit areas by the Morakot Typhoon in 2009. The people in the tribe insisted on rebuilding their homes in the same location using traditional architectural methods. Thus, the plaza, chief’s house, youth center, and many other buildings are covered in aboriginal totems and wood carvings that show the original history, experience, and memories of the tribe. Consider spending some time visiting the tribe with a local guide. Learn about the steadfast spirit of the tribe through the murals and artwork found in the village.

Once you have arrived in Jialan Tribal Village, where can you find the red quinoa blossom fields? You’ll find a large field of red quinoa blossoms beneath the Lawan Bridge that connects Jialan and Lawan Village. Turn onto Jialan Industry Road from the Zhengxing railroad crossing and you’ll find the Jialan demonstration planting area. We recommend taking a bicycle as many red quinoa fields are right along the bike paths, allowing you to enjoy the fields up close. You can complete a trip around the Jialan Sky Footpath in less than an hour. Another red quinoa field can be found across from the Jinlan Hot Spring Park. Make this your final destination and you can relax your feet in the warm hot springs while enjoying the lovely blossoms.

Red quinoa blossoms come in more colors than red. Ripened red quinoa blossoms can be orange, green, dark purple, and more. Due to this colorful feature, they are also known as rainbow quinoa. The blossom fields appear to glisten under the sun. It is a sight that you cannot miss. Red quinoa can grow to be around 80-100cm tall. Stand in the middle of a field of colorful red quinoa blossoms and take some magnificent photos. （Photo Credit：IG@ bkklkkya）

You’ll find the famous dining location, Pulamii Restaurant, not too far from Jialan Hot Spring Park. The restaurant is run by Zhiming and Xiuchun who provide delicious Paiwanese cuisine and also take reservations for various tribal cultural tours. Pulamii prepare their meals with locally sourced ingredients, many ingredients are even certified by the Tse-Xin Organic Certification Corporation. The menu-less meals include Paiwanese classics such as shake shake rice which is a thick millet congee with wild greens. Other dishes such as roasted wild boar, wasabi, pumpkin are fresh, light, and healthy. Don’t forget to taste the red quinoa on this red quinoa trip. The red quinoa grain is smaller than a sesame seed and has a similar fragrance to corn husks. The stalk of red quinoa is also tender and sweet, making it perfectly suitable for everyone in the family.

After your meal, follow Zhiming to learn how to pound the red quinoa grain. Ripened red quinoa changes from a green color to bright red, orange or yellow. Harvest is done mainly by hand and is quite a tiring process. During the harvest period, the women of the tribe will sit outside, removing the grains and chatting away. The grains are laid out under the sun to dry for 3 to 5 days. The red quinoa grain is small so no dehusking machine can dehusk the ruby. After the grains are dried, a pestle is used to remove the grain from the bran. While the pounding process might look simple, it’s much more than mindless pounding. To exert the right amount of force, the men stand in a balanced lunge while women stand with their feet close together. They pound at the red quinoa in a steady rhythm. Give it a try to see how much energy goes into this step of the harvest. （Photo Credit：FB@卜拉米-喇晌小栈）

Besides having great nutritional value, red quinoa is often used as decoration because of its vibrant colors. Women in the tribe often wear red quinoa headdresses to celebrations or banquets. We will use ears of the red quinoa grain to make headdresses. Measure the circumference of your head and cut the quinoa to the appropriate length. Tie it around your head and secure it with cotton string to complete the headdress. The bright and colorful headdress is attractive and filled with the joys of a plentiful harvest. Bring it home to decorate and brighten up any room in your house.

Red quinoa has strong moisturizing and anti-oxidizing properties making it a great ingredient in soap! Learn to make some hand-made red quinoa soap. Natural plant dyes, essential oils, and red quinoa seeds are added to make a nourishing, cleansing, and freshly scented soap that is perfect to use at home or give as a gift.

After the busy day, we’ll travel to the Liqiu Tribe in Jinfeng Township to visit the popular bakery. Shaoniyao bakery is owned by Yuxuan Lee who returned to her home tribe to create delicious pastries and cookies with locally sourced ingredients. Seize the opportunity to try red quinoa brownies, red quinoa chiffon cake, red quinoa cheesecake, and more seasonal desserts while they are in season. Pair the desserts with locally grown Lulakesi coffee to discover this match made in heaven. Enjoy your afternoon tea with the beautiful views of the mountains and immerse yourself in the refreshing phytoncide of the forest for the most relaxing and fun day.（Photo Credit：IG@daliy.life_record）

Address: No. 407 Jinfeng Township, Taitung County

Phone Number: 0919-147-896

Hours of Operation: 10:00–19:30（reservation required）

Website：https://www.facebook.com/pulamii/

Address: No. 29 Liqiu Village, Jinfeng Township, Taitung County

Phone Number: 0988 896 059

Hours of Operation: 10:00–18:00 (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays) （reservation required）

Website：https://www.facebook.com/sauniyau0211/