To promote food and agriculture education, the Taitung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station (TTDARES) of the Ministry of Agriculture held a pigeon pea-themed food and agriculture education class on Friday, February 14, 2025 at Xianglan Elementary School in Taimali. Farmer Lyu Hung-wen, a winner of the Second Top Hundred Young Farmers award, instructed the students and teachers (39 in total).
The instructor first discussed the origins and uses of pigeon peas, including their nutritional value and their significance in traditional Taiwanese Indigenous culture as seen in a traditional dish: “warrior soup.” Students were given hands-on experience cultivating seedlings and turning the soil, and they learned about the plant’s growth characteristics and management methods. Pigeon peas usually must be cooked for a while before becoming edible, but the TTDARES has developed ready-to-eat pigeon peas, which the students were able to try out. These peas may be eaten directly or after being first soaked in water. Teachers present said that having a learning-by-doing class boosted the students’ motivation to learn and gave them a better understanding of the importance of the crop in the traditional Indigenous diet.