Description

Formosan Beard Grass is a species endemic to Taiwan belonging to the Poaceae family. According to research, the Austronesian language family was domesticated from wild oil awn. It took root in Taiwan and became one of the staple foods of the tribe, but it disappeared on the island for more than 60 years until In recent years, domestic scholars and research teams have rediscovered the original seed for restoration.

In the past, the Formosan Beard Grass was widely grown all over Taiwan, and different tribes had different names. The Rukai people called it "Lalumai", the Paiwan people called it "Ljumay", and the Bunun elders used to call it "Dill". Documents and specimens of the ruling era can be found in records. However, due to the small and hard grains of oil awn, the taste is not as good as that of rice and millet, and the large number of fine hairs on the tip of the awn will make people itchy and unbearable.

According to research, awn grains have very considerable nutrients, and are high in fat, protein, calcium, magnesium and potassium. As the name suggests, the oil awn itself is also rich in oil. The volume of the embryo accounts for more than 1/3 of the seed, and it is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, as well as tryptophan, lysine, phenylalanine, glutamic acid, serine, etc. Amino acid, mixed with white rice and cooked together, can supplement the nutrients that are not enough in refined rice.

What's even more surprising is that arborvitae is a marginal crop that is resistant to drought, humidity and salinity. It can be planted on barren land and can grow wild without much watering. It has become a popular crop in a warming climate. The "Super Future Food" that is valued.

The Formosan Beard Grass we introduced came from Taitung. In cooperation with the Bunun farmers of the tribe, the road to restoration is full of challenges and unpredictable changes. There will be ants and crickets to eat during the seedling raising and transplanting period, and at the mature period, there will be sparrows and white-rumped magpie robins competing for food; due to the method of spreading by different areas, the Formosan Beard Grass cannot mature at the same time in the whole area, and must all rely on manpower one by one. Harvested on the ground, so the harvest yield is still very small at this stage.

The Formosan Beard Grass itself has no significant odor, but has a slightly elegant taste similar to buckwheat, and has a fine-grained taste like red quinoa. It is recommended that it be added to white rice for cooking, or it can also be added appropriately when making rice cakes to enrich its taste and nutrients.

Specifications

○ Ingredient: Formosan Beard Grass
○ Weight: 400 grams / Approx. 14 Oz
○ Place of Origin: Taiwan
○ Shelf life: 1 year
○ Storage method: Refrigerated storage is recommended after purchase

｜商品說明｜

台灣油芒是禾本科油芒屬下的台灣特有種，考據顯示是南島語系族由野生油芒馴化而來，在台灣落腳生根成為部落的主食之一，但在島內消失逾60年，直到近年才被國內學者與研究團隊重新尋回種原進行復育。

過去油芒在台灣各地普遍皆有種植，各部族間有不同名稱，魯凱族稱「Lalumai」，排灣族稱為 「Ljumay」，布農族的耆老則慣以「Dill」稱之，在日治時代的文獻和標本都可找到記載。但因油芒的穀粒小而硬，口感不如稻米、小米，加上芒尖大量的細毛在處理時會讓人搔癢難耐，隨著歷史的發展，以及飲食主流的移轉，讓油芒逐漸退下糧食舞台，消失在部落田裡。

根據研究發現，油芒穀粒中擁有非常可觀的營養成分，脂肪、蛋白質、鈣、鎂及鉀含量都很高。顧名思義，油芒本身也含有豐富的油脂，胚的體積約占種子的1/3以上，富含不飽和脂肪酸，以及色胺酸、賴氨酸、苯丙胺酸、穀胺酸、絲胺酸等多種胺基酸，將油芒與白米混合一起煮食，可補充精緻米食不足的營養。

更讓人驚喜的是，油芒是一種邊際作物，抗旱、抗濕、抗鹽化，可種植在貧瘠的土地，不須太多水分澆灌便可野生野長，在暖化氣候下成為備受重視的「超級未來食物」。

我們引進的這款油芒來自台東，與部落的布農族農友合作，復耕之路充滿挑戰與無法預料的變化。育苗與插秧期會有螞蟻、蟋蟀來吃，成熟期又有識貨的麻雀、白腰鵲鴝爭食；由於用分區撒播的方式，油芒無法全區同時成熟，必須全部仰賴人力一株一株地採收，因此現階段收穫產量仍非常罕少。

油芒本身沒有顯著氣味，略有與蕎麥相似的淡雅穀香，與紅藜般細粒口感，建議可加在白米中炊煮，或是製作米食糕點時也可酌量添加，豐富其口感與養分。

｜商品規格｜

○ 成分：油芒
○ 重量：400公克
○ 產地：台灣
○ 保存期限：1年
○ 保存方式：購買後建議冷藏保存