Preserved daikon radish is a classic part of Taiwanese cuisine, commonly encountered in omelets and congees. Depending on how long it’s been pickled, the aged variety of this dish can fetch an extraordinary price.
This soup’s rich color comes from the addition of aged preserved daikon radish, a rare ingredient that is also known as Taiwan’s “black gold,” which is as rare as it is expensive.
This is in large part because the process of making aged preserved daikon radish is so labor-intensive. After the radishes are washed and cut, they must be regularly turned over during the drying process. At first, the color is light brown, but as the years pass, it becomes much darker.
Factory owners explain that the radishes fetch NT$500 (US$15) per kilogram at the market. After 10 years, the price goes up an additional NT$100 (US$3) per year, so after 15 years, a single kilogram is worth NT$1,000 (US$30). Since the value effectively doubles over time, some business owners say they’re harder to buy than semiconductor chips.
While this black gold may not be Taiwan’s main contribution to the global economy, its rarity makes it comparably valuable, and much sought after among gourmands and collectors.
Hanna Bilinski for Rti News