For many people, memories of midsummer begin with a scent drifting from the kitchen. A pineapple is sliced in half on the cutting board, its golden flesh releasing juice as its sweet and tangy aroma quickly fills the room. Choosing a ripe pineapple is not difficult. When the skin has turned yellow and the fragrance is rich, it is usually ready to eat. This full, satisfying flavor often comes from Luye, Taitung, the main pineapple-producing area in eastern Taiwan. Free from industrial pollution, Luye has mostly well-drained gravelly soil, along with abundant sunshine that allows pineapples to slowly develop their sweetness in the fields. Pineapple cultivation in Luye covers about 200 hectares, mainly growing Golden Diamond pineapples, a familiar summer fruit in many households.
(Photo credit: Imagine Taitung)
(Photo credit: Good Time Fruit)
Ripening More Slowly for a Deeper Sweetness
Compared with southern Taiwan, Taitung has fewer effective sunlight hours in winter, so crops grow more slowly. The same pineapple takes about one year and ten months to harvest here, several months longer than in other regions. Farmers do not rush the process, and the pineapples are given time to grow at their own pace. In return, the long wait brings a richer aroma and a layered balance of sweetness and acidity. Some people even notice a finish similar to peach or caramel in a bite of Golden Diamond pineapple. This is also why pineapples brought home do not need to be refrigerated right away. Leaving them in a well-ventilated place to turn naturally yellow helps bring out their best flavor.
(Photo credit: Good Time Fruit)
Less Pesticide in the Field, More Patience from the People
Step into the pineapple fields of Luye, and you will find that many farmers choose grass-covered cultivation and intentionally reduce pesticide use. Fertilizer is applied mainly in the early stages of growth, after which nutrients are slowly metabolized through sunlight, with the goal of producing fruit with zero pesticide residue. In Beinan, Jin-Hong and Pei-Ying, a couple with graduate training in agriculture, set a clear principle for their own brand, Good Time Fruit: no artificial flower induction. They allow pineapples to absorb sunlight in the fields and ripen naturally. Their Golden Diamond pineapples can reach a sugar level of 17.5 degrees and have passed testing for 381 pesticide residues. Using less pesticide often means accepting a higher risk of pest damage. But for farmers who follow eco-friendly farming principles, this is part of the proper balance needed to live with the land over the long term.
(Photo credit: Good Time Fruit)
(Photo credit: Good Time Fruit)
(Photo credit: Imagine Taitung)
Keeping Midsummer a Little Longer
Fresh pineapples do not stay at their best for long, so some farmers have found ways to keep the taste of summer a little longer. In Luye, farmers slice the fruit thinly and dry it at a low temperature for more than 40 hours. As the moisture concentrates, the pineapple becomes dried fruit that grows more fragrant the longer it is chewed. Luye Ruby Dried Pineapple, made with Ruby pineapples, carries a natural tart aroma that is hard to find elsewhere. Some people turn fresh fruit into fruit popsicles. At Luye Highland, a cooling popsicle from iceSpring makes the summer heat feel lighter. Others mix pineapple with sugar, salt, and soybean meal to make traditional pineapple sauce. Add a spoonful when steaming fish or cooking chicken soup, and the whole pot becomes brighter and more appetizing.
(Photo credit: Good Time Fruit)
A Group of Returnees Growing Pineapples into a Way of Life
Behind these flavors is a group of people who have turned daily life into a reflection of the land. In 2017, five young people who returned to or moved to Luye each took over family businesses, connected with nearby partners, and founded Imagine Taitung, an experience booking platform that brings farm experiences and fresh fruit directly to visitors. Today, the platform features more than 60 businesses and over 100 products. To preserve the flavor of a single season, they also created gift boxes of jams and dried fruit. Pineapple, apple, and lemon are cooked into pineapple jam, then paired with flavors such as roselle and passion fruit, allowing the taste of midsummer to be enjoyed all year round. Luye pineapples are no longer just a fruit. They have become a way of life. This energy grown from the land is also what the Taitung County Government has continued to accompany and protect with care over the years.
(Photo credit: Imagine Taitung)
