Taiwan has a tradition of eating spring rolls on the day of the Tomb Sweeping Festival. It is believed that in the old days, people refrained from using fire to cook food as they paid respects to their ancestors. So the spring rolls people eat on this day are not fried as they’d otherwise be.
This year, Tomb Sweeping Day spring rolls in the southern city of Tainan are being served with a twist. Cooks are adding Taiwanese pineapple to the mix of ingredients, helping fight back against a Chinese ban on Taiwanese pineapple imports that has hurt local farmers.
Cooks in the southern city of Tainan have always been an innovative bunch, and this year, they’ve unveiled yet another new creation: spring rolls that use fresh pineapple juice in the dough.
After China put a ban on Taiwan’s pineapple imports in March, Taiwan’s gourmands have thought of all kinds of creative ways of incorporating pineapples into their dishes, boosting local demand.
Another creative take on the spring roll involves adding pineapple slices to the mix. Other fruits are added as well, like slices of waxed apples, guavas, and apples. With a mix of sour and sweet flavors coming from the different fruits, the dish becomes a deliciously light and healthy meal in itself.
Tainan City Mayor Huang Wei-che has come out in support of these creative uses for his city’s fruit. He’s encouraging further culinary innovations that will boost local fruit farmers’ sales.