Bigger than a NT$50 coin: Giant blueberries grown by Hualien gardener

We now turn to the humble blueberry. Most of Taiwan''s blueberries are imported, but one man in Hualien is doing his best to change that. Mr. Tien is a part-time blueberry farmer who happens to be growing the biggest blueberries you''ve ever seen. Some are bigger than a NT$50 coin! And his good luck is largely due to chance. Now he wants to spread his knowledge and build a network of blueberry growers across Taiwan.

Your eyes are not deceiving you! It really is that big. These two blueberries, round and plump, look like a pair of normal blueberries that have been magnified.

Put to the test, an average blueberry is just 14.5 millimeters wide, little more than 1 centimeter. By contrast, these bad boys are 32.7 millimeters wide – twice as big. And they’re still growing yet!

These giant blueberries grow in Hualien’s Ji’an Township, single-handedly cultivated by blueberry maestro Mr. Tien.

Mr. Tien
Blueberry farmer
This bush is called Lola, I named it myself. I picked it out from more than 400 seeds over two years.

The farmer says he’s very lucky. Two years ago he planted over 400 blueberry saplings. This one just happened to grow berries that were off the charts, to his surprise and delight. He’s not even a professional farmer, more of a hobby gardener. His interest in blueberries is a coincidence too. He never thought it would become his passion like this, consuming three years in a blueberry fever.

Mr. Tien
Blueberry farmer
I was amusing myself with gardening for a decade or so. Whenever I moved the pots they were so heavy. The soil is so heavy. Then I discovered the soil for blueberry trees is lighter. The pots are easy to move and then you have berries to eat as well, so I got hooked on them.

The blueberry is a highly nutritious but low-calorie fruit, containing the antioxidant anthocyanidin. Most blueberries in Taiwan are imported. The key to spotting which berries are fresh, says Tien, is the pastel powder on their skin.

Mr. Tien
Blueberry farmer
The powder is what it uses to protect its fruit, so when it’s missing, the fruit goes bad very fast. What you have to look for is first how much powder there is, and if there’s a lot, it means the fruit is fresh enough.

Tien is very generous with his knowledge, offering to share tips on how to grow gigantic blueberries yourself. He’d like to have a network of blueberry buddies with whom to share skills and growing techniques, so everyone can grow more and more luscious fruit, together.

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#民視 #民視新聞 #英語新聞 #English_News #Formosa_News

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