Water caltrops look like devil’s horns. They look like bats on the wing. Their horn-like shape has earned them the nicknames “Devil’s pod” or “buffalo nuts,” and they are sometimes called “water chestnuts” due to their taste. They are now in season.
Most of the water caltrops in Taiwan are grown in Tainan’s Guantian District. This area has about 380 hectares of farmland in which to grow the crop, and you can see large water caltrop fields everywhere, with stalls selling just-boiled devil’s pods along the roads. Visitors to this year’s Guantian Water Caltrop Festival were surprised to learn that the buffalo nuts actually grow in water.
The roots of the water caltrop plants extend down into the soil, and their stems break the surface of the water, with triangular leaves floating on the surface. They can be harvested from mid-September to November each year. Most of water caltrop farmers in Taiwan start growing the crop in May, after they have brought in the first rice harvest.
Photo: Lee Chieh-pin and Wang Mei-chun , Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者李价斌、王美春
Water caltrops grow best in hot, humid climates with plenty of sunshine. As they bear fruit in temperatures of between 25 and 36 degrees Celsius, they thrive in southern Taiwan, and are grown predominantly in Tainan’s Guantian District and Kaohsiung’s Renwu District.
The flesh of water caltrops is delicious and nutritious, its taste somewhat reminiscent of chestnuts. Devil’s pods can be eaten boiled or used in cooking, such as in buffalo nut and pork rib soup and three-cup chicken with water caltrops, to name but a few popular dishes.
(Liberty Times, translated by Lin Lee-kai)
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者楊金城
菱角外型近似魔鬼頭上的角，或飛翔的蝙蝠。因其外觀及味道，英文稱之為「魔鬼莢」、「水牛果」或「水栗」。而現在正是菱角的產季。
台南市官田區是全台最大的菱角產地，種植面積約三八○公頃，處處可見大片的菱田，路旁有許多熱騰騰的水煮菱角攤。官田菱角季日前登場，讓遊客大開眼界，驚呼「原來菱角長在水裡！」
菱角的根生於土中，水中莖長達水面，三角形葉浮生於水面，每年九月中至十一月為盛產期。台灣大多數菱農是在一期作稻米收割完後的五月間才開始種植。
Photo: Yang Chin-cheng, Liberty Times
照片：自由時報記者楊金城
菱角性喜高溫、多日照、多濕的氣候環境，結果實的適溫為攝氏二十五至三十六度，因此產區多在南台灣，目前以台南官田、高雄仁武為主要種植區域。
菱角富含營養、肉質鮮美，吃進嘴裡有宛若栗子的香味。除了水煮菱角外也可入菜，常見的料理方式有菱角排骨湯、三杯菱角雞等。
（自由時報）
A: According to reporter Joon Lee’s analysis, what are other reasons why the Los Angeles Dodgers made back baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani’s huge contract so quickly? B: Second, a lot of Japanese and global enterprises are eager to benefit from the “Ohtani effect”. . . A: That’s sure to increase the Dodgers’ bargaining chips in negotiations. B: Lastly, all this media coverage is elevating the Dodgers’ brand to a new level, boosting the value of the franchise. A: I can’t wait to see a battle between Ohtani and “Team Taiwan” at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. A: 根據記者Joon Lee的分析，洛杉磯道奇隊和球星大谷翔平的巨約快速回本還有哪些原因？ B: 第二、無數日本和全球企業都想和這股「大谷效應」沾上邊……。 A: 這也增加了道奇在各種商業談判中的籌碼吧。 B: 第三、媒體報導更將道奇的品牌形象推升至全新的高度，使該隊價值水漲船高。 A: 真期待在2026年「世界棒球經典賽」，看到大谷和台灣隊的經典對決！ （By Eddy
★ Bilingual Story is a fictionalized account. 雙語故事部分內容純屬虛構。 Kevin leaned over the bubbling pot. “Hey. . . are you okay? You’ve barely touched your food.” Zoey blinked. Her face was red — not from blushing, but from the “mala” spice and the heat of the room. Her blond hair clumped to her face like strands of fine spaghetti. Her carefully applied makeup now streaked. “This isn’t what I expected,” she said softly, forcing a smile. All around them, Kevin’s friends were laughing, shouting, and tossing ingredients into the broth. The air smelled of chili oil and garlic.
Picture this: contestants are walking gracefully across a stage, competing for the highly desired title of “most beautiful.” However, these participants aren’t fashion models—they’re camels. Welcome to the extraordinary world of the Pushkar Fair, where beauty contests take on an entirely different meaning. The Pushkar Fair is held annually in the small desert town of Pushkar, India, usually in November. It began as a livestock trading event where farmers and herders gathered to buy and sell camels, horses and cattle. Over time, it has grown into a major cultural carnival that attracts thousands of tourists from around the world.
A: Major League Baseball’s 2025 World Series took place last week. The games between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays were so exciting. B: As the highest-paid baseball player in the world, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers was an incandescant superstar. A: The Dodgers signed a record-breaking 10-year, US$700 million contract with Ohtani in 2023. As former ESPN reporter Joon Lee analyzed, the team quickly made back all the investment in the player’s first season. B: Wow, how is that possible? A: Firstly, tourism from Japan to Los Angeles has surged by 90 percent since Ohtani signed the deal, with the
RSS