Checheng Onion

Checheng onion is a sweet onion variety grown in Checheng Township and Hengchun Town, Pingtung, shaped by the Luoshan Wind and sandy soil, and counted among the "Three Treasures of Hengchun." Every February and March, driving along Provincial Highway 26 through Checheng, endless onion fields line the road as farmers pull purple-red and golden onions from the sand. Wintered under the peninsula's fierce Luoshan Wind, these onions are sweet with a lingering finish raw, and clean-sweet without sharpness when simmered.

According to the Checheng Township Office, roughly 80 percent of Taiwan's onion production comes from the Checheng–Hengchun area. Historically, the "Three Treasures of Hengchun" were "sisal, onion, and Gangkou tea"; as Gangkou tea production has declined in recent years, some local sources now cite "sisal, onion, and watermelon" instead, but onion appears in both versions. Onions were introduced from the United States in the 1950s in more than 30 varieties; the peninsula's winter Luoshan Wind and well-drained sandy-gravel soil suit bulb formation, and in the 1970s the region supplied around 80 percent of Japan's onion imports at its peak.

What is Checheng Onion

Checheng onions refer to onions grown in Checheng Township and Hengchun Town in Pingtung, primarily yellow-skin sweet onions with some purple-skin varieties. The growing season runs roughly from February to March each year; farmers plant in late autumn and the onions grow slowly through the winter in the dry, cool climate of the Hengchun Peninsula under the Luoshan Wind, then are harvested in early spring. The defining characteristic is high sweetness and mild pungency — they can be eaten raw in salads or onion rings, tossed with bonito-flake soy sauce as an appetizer, or simmered in broth where they develop a pronounced lingering sweetness well suited to beef stew and onion soup. When selecting, look for dry, intact skin, a tightly compact root base, and a firm, heavy feel in hand.

Why Checheng? The Hengchun Town Office designates onions as one of the 'Three Treasures of Hengchun.' Data from the Council of Agriculture and Pingtung County Government indicate that approximately 80 percent of Taiwan's onions are produced in the Checheng and Hengchun area, the highest output in the country. Two reasons: first, the fierce 'Luoshan Wind' (落山風) of the Hengchun Peninsula's winter keeps the plants compact and sturdy and allows sugar to accumulate; second, the well-draining sandy soil is ideal for onion root development. The Checheng Township Farmers' Association and Hengchun Town Farmers' Association have long promoted direct-from-farm sales, and during the February–March season roadside stalls set up by farmers are common along Provincial Highway 26.

How to eat it like a local

Local knowledge

Information compiled from the Pingtung County Government Tourism Bureau, Hengchun Town Office, Checheng Township and Hengchun Town Farmers' Associations, and large volumes of public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with exclusive channel footage after Dio's on-site shoot.