Fu cai is a traditional Hakka pickled mustard green from Gongguan Township, Miaoli, made by sun-drying salted mustard greens three to four times until the salinity reaches about 15 degrees, then packing them upside down in a sealed jar to ferment for two to three months — a process that shrinks the weight from three catties to one. Because the greens are stored inverted, the Hakka term is "fu" (覆, upside-down), later written with the auspicious homophone "fu" (福, fortune). Gongguan is known as the hometown of fu cai, and together with suan cai and meigan cai it forms the Hakka Three Treasures, indispensable in fu cai pork soup, braised pork belly, and layered steamed pork.
Fu cai is made by sun-drying salted mustard greens three to four times until the salinity reaches about 15 degrees, then packing them upside down into a wine jar or plastic tub to ferment for two to three months; the process reduces the weight from three catties to one. Because the greens are stored upside down, the product is called fu cai (覆, inverted), later written with the auspicious homophone 福 (fortune). Gongguan Township in Miaoli is known as the hometown of fu cai. Zhan Xin-huan, known as A-Huan Bo, began commercial fu cai production in Gongguan in the 1950s, becoming the first farmer to industrialize fu cai processing in Taiwan; his products were exported to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, and he was twice named a model farmer of Miaoli County. His son, Zhan Yan-qing, later founded Meizhiwei Agricultural Products to continue the craft.
What is Gongguan Fu Cai
Fu cai is made from "heart mustard greens" (commonly called long-life greens) through a multi-step process: salting, sun-drying, pressing, and bottling. The mustard greens are first rubbed with salt and pressed to draw out moisture, producing "salty greens" (xian cai); they are then partially sun-dried, packed tightly into glass bottles, sealed upside-down, and left to ferment for several months to become fu cai. If drying continues until fully desiccated, the result is "meigan cai" (dried mustard). All three are essentially stages of the same mustard green at different moisture levels: xian cai is wet, fu cai is semi-dry, meigan cai is fully dry. Hakka households keep all three on hand throughout the year.
The area around Zhongyi Village and Kaikuang Village in Gongguan Township, with its climate, water quality, and concentrated Hakka population, became Taiwan's leading fu cai pickling center. The local brand "A-Huan Bo Foods" was the first to industrialize traditional fu cai production and now exports to Hakka communities in Southeast Asia. The Gongguan Township Farmers' Association holds an annual Fu Cai Culture Festival to promote industry awareness. When added to dishes, fu cai delivers a savory, gradually sweet depth with a natural fermentation tang that instantly elevates soups, braises, and steamed fish — it is a staple flavor base kept in every Miaoli Hakka household.
How to eat it like a local
Local knowledge
Verified facts (sponsor-filtered)
- Gongguan Township is Taiwan's primary fu cai pickling hub; the Gongguan Township Farmers' Association holds a Fu Cai Culture Festival every year.
- A-Huan Bo Foods was the first to industrialize fu cai production and export it to Southeast Asian markets.
- The Council for Hakka Affairs lists fu cai as one of the Hakka Three Treasures, alongside meigan cai and xian cai.
Tips for visiting
- Glass-bottled fu cai must be refrigerated after opening; for long-term storage, freeze it.
- Rinse fu cai under water before cooking to adjust the saltiness and prevent the dish from becoming too salty.
- Vacuum-packed fu cai is easier to carry as a souvenir than glass bottles, which are heavy.
Information compiled from the Miaoli County Government Tourism Bureau, township and district farmers' associations, and large-scale public reviews; sponsored listings have been excluded. Photos to be replaced with channel-exclusive footage after Dio's on-site shoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between fu cai, suan cai, and meigan cai?
All three come from the same mustard green plant at different curing stages: suan cai (salty greens) is the wettest, fu cai is semi-dry and fermented, and meigan cai is fully sun-dried — together known as the Hakka Three Treasures.
How is fu cai made?
Salted mustard greens are sun-dried three to four times until salinity reaches about 15 degrees, then packed upside down in a sealed jar to ferment for two to three months.
What is Gongguan's historical role in fu cai?
Gongguan farmer A-Huan Bo began producing fu cai commercially in the 1950s, becoming the first in Taiwan to industrialize the trade and export it to Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, earning Gongguan the nickname "hometown of fu cai."
How do locals eat fu cai?
Fu cai pork soup, fu cai braised pork belly, and fu cai steamed fish are three classic dishes, prized for their savory depth and ability to cut through richness.
Sources
- 在地客家食材：福菜、梅干、酸菜原來是同一種？ — 自由時報《食譜自由配》,福菜製程工序(三斤縮一斤、發酵三個月)與命名由來
- 阿煥伯食品企業社 關於我們 — 創辦人湛新煥(阿煥伯)生平、1950年代起福菜企業化生產與外銷香港東南亞歷史