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In Meinong, wild lotus farmers are hard at work harvesting
their crops. Wild Lotus (Latin: Nymphoides cristata) is an
aquatic plant with an edible stem. The harvest requires farmers
to submerge their bodies, leaving only their heads above water.
They can't see the crop through the water, so they rely solely
on their sense of touch. After obtaining a handful, they carefully
tie them into neat bunches and place them under damp cloths
to prevent dehydration. They then return to the ponds to get
another bunch.
Lotus farmer Mr. Li Dong-jhen has three fields, totaling
three kaes (about 7.2 acres) and enjoys a daily output of
555 Taiwanese Catties (about 330 kilos, or 727 lbs). Mr. Li
points out the lotus can only grow in natural spring water.
In the summer, they can be harvested in 70 to 80 days, whereas
it is about 100 days in winter. When he began there was no
existing documentation on how to grow wild lotus, so Mr. Li
had to learn by trial and error. He uses an organic fertilizer
and absolutely no chemical treatments. However, occasionally
the plants get sick and the whole crop must be destroyed.
The pond must be sterilized and the whole process must begin
again.
Mr. Li feels the most challenging aspects of wild lotus farming
is harvesting. This is especially true during winter when
the weather is cold and farmers must stay in the bone-chilling
water for many hours. However, the crop is delicious and crunchy,
with a crisp texture. It is usually served as a mildly seasoned
stir-fry. The flavor is refreshing and can be found in many
local restaurants. However, due to the fact it is grown with
organic fertilizers and pure water, it tastes great in salads.
美濃 野蓮
【文／侯雅婷；攝影／鮑忠暉】
頂著豔陽，野蓮養殖戶已在水池工作多時，由於野蓮的根部生長於池底，只見他們稍稍蹲低身體，僅剩頭露出水面，憑著手感在水面下採集瘦瘦細長的野蓮，採集到一整束的野蓮，稍做整理後，綑成一束，再繼續採集的工作，採集好的野蓮，隨即用濕布包覆住防止水份的流失。
美濃獨有的野蓮料理方式多以大火快炒，野蓮因為空心的構造，吃起來清爽帶點脆脆的獨特口感，是必點的佳餚。
農戶李東振養殖野蓮面積達3甲，每天出貨量約550台斤。李東振表示養殖野蓮使用地下水，夏天生長期為70∼80 天，冬天約須100天。李振東說養殖野蓮沒有老師，要種出好吃的野蓮需使用有機肥料施肥，此外，一旦發現野蓮生病，就只有忍痛將整池的野蓮全數銷毀再重新來過。當被問起這一行的甘苦談，李振東表示，拔野蓮最是辛苦，特別是在冬天時，凍得直打哆嗦卻仍得下池工作。李振東養殖的野蓮多以大批發的方式銷往全台果菜市場。另一位野蓮農戶古鎮賢強調，野蓮是非常好的蔬菜，因為水質乾淨且施用有機肥料，生吃都沒問題。
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