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.
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