After driving through a road that seemed to be an endless spaghetti of bends and turns we have finally arrived to the heart of Alishan National Park. After reaching one of the peaks the green, peacefully looking mountains bluntly remind us of the power of nature with the daunting remains of the last land-slide: missing roads, hotel torn in half, empty slopes after all the vegetation was forcefully pulled out. We stop at what used to be a hotel – now standing as a skeleton with a large chunk of it hanging above a cliff…We stay nearby in a B&B and a working farm. After parking the car we start making out way down the hill. As we slowly approach the warm, spring air fills up with scent of caramelized sugar with a hint of ginger. Though it’s only 1st of January, the spring is already manifesting its arrival: cherry trees are shyly letting the first blossom to meet the sunshine, green tea buds are slowly disclosing the yellow flowers in the morning whereas the cane sugar already attracts busy buzz of bees.
The scent thickens as we approach the farm building. First we see a pile of freshly cut sugar cane on the ground and a pile of squashed, flat and lifeless sugar cane stems that have already met the mysterious machine standing between the two stacks. Bees are busily buzzing around, collecting any remaining drops of sweet juice. As the air is getting warmer both the scent and the buzzing intensify.
"juicy cane sugar
Then we meet our hosts: Mrs Lai and Mr Chen. They both in working attire as in winter, during the season, they are busy with running the farm and making cane sugar. The B&B is open to friends as only one B is provided during the busy times.
During the season the whole life at the farm oscillates around making sugar: from dusk the mysterious machine is making hamming noise squeezing the last drop of syrup from cane sugar, with empty buckets quickly filling up with the sweet juice. Son after the first wok is filled to the brims with the bees-attracting liquid, filling the morning air with the sweet scent. The juice is being boiled till it thickens up enough – or more precisely until the bubbles look right... Again the tacit knowledge seems to be more accurate than any new technology or process...
The brownish soup needs to be constantly stirred and as the cooking proceeds Mrs Lai busies herself up with preparing simple (but tasty!) breakfast and some ginger tea. The cold, refreshing mountain air mixes nicely with the sweet, hot ginger tea. What a way to start New Year.
almost ready!
The bubbles thicken up and the juice is nearly ready. Buzzing on the farm intensifies. Everyone gets ready, taking their position. The first wok is being emptied on the sheet of metal to be cooled down and turned into chunks of cane sugar. Hands, equipped with various tools, busily mix, cut, turn what started as a brownish, glue-like hot paste into baskets of ready-to-be packed sugar.
pouring, mixing, stirring, chopping..
As the evening comes we are invited to have some tea and a drink of together. The evening passes into late hours spend on sipping refreshing green tea grown on the fields nearby and some Kaoliang (高粱酒) to keep warm. It feels like being home. It feels good. Later on we head for our cozy, Japanese style dorm to get some sleep. Tomorrow is an early start to catch the sunrise.
Before we leave our fantastic hosts a surprise arrives: Mrs Lai bought some milk-fish from the fishmonger for us! What supposed to be a simple lunch turns into a feast of many mouthwatering, home-made dishes. And the fish – simple but perfect.
Barely being able to move, we bit our farewell – but for sure we will be back. The best B&B so far. Fact.
The final lunch
Next time you in Alishan national Park, stay at Song-Jolly B&B and Cane Sugar Farm. It's the place to experience!
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