An amateur baker in Penghu County is using pastries to draw attention to the plight of endangered sea turtles.
Green sea turtles and their eggs used to be an important source of protein for people on the outlying islands, as it was difficult to transport food supplies to the islands, baker Lin Ya-wen (林雅雯) said.
However, the turtles have become a symbol for environmental conservation and people use their image in creative products, she said, giving as an example the turtle-shaped pineapple buns she makes.
Photo: Liu Yu-ching, Taipei Times
Lin said she hopes the buns will be popular at next year’s Lantern Festival in Penghu.
Lin said she volunteers at community organizations in Magong to help disadvantaged families and she sees the buns as a way to raise awareness about the community’s needs.
The aim is for the buns to draw attention to conservation efforts, she said, adding that she never expected them to become popular with friends and the community.
“I used matcha for the turtle’s shell and chocolate to dot the eyes... I use hsiang-ju extract [Glossogyne tenuifolia, a Chinese herbal medicine] to reduce the fat content and add fragrance,” she said.
The buns have a shelf life of only three days, so she bakes them to order, she said.
Lin said she has been approached by a temple that wants to have the buns available for Lantern Festival on Feb. 19 next year.
Sea turtles are symbols of auspiciousness and longevity in Penghu culture, she said, adding that a local expression says: “Touching the head of a turtle will cause a building to rise, touching its tail will fill the building with furniture, touching its shell will bring steady business, touching its feet will bring great wealth.”
Lin said she is working with Ching Hao Baking Workshop to teach others how to make the buns.
Instructor Hu Chun-hao (胡君豪) comes from a family of bakers, she said.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Friday laid out the Cabinet’s updated policy agenda and recapped the government’s achievements ahead of the one-year anniversary of President William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration. Cho said the government had made progress across a range of areas, including rebuilding Hualien, cracking down on fraud, improving pedestrian safety and promoting economic growth. “I hope the public will not have the impression that the Cabinet only asked the legislature to reconsider a bunch of legal amendments,” Cho said, calling the moves “necessary” to protect constitutional governance and the public’s interest. The Cabinet would work toward achieving its “1+7” plan, he said. The
RSS