Wufeng Taichung No. 194 Rice (Yiquan Fragrant Rice)

Yiquan fragrant rice is a japonica fragrant rice variety, officially registered as Tainong No. 71, developed over nine years by Taiwan's Agricultural Research Institute and formally named in 2000 — and it is the most representative rice of Wufeng's agricultural identity. Bred by crossing the Japanese variety Kinuhikari as the mother plant with Tainung No. 4 as the father, its commercial name honors the late Dr. Kuo Yi-chuan, who led the breeding team; the variety went into wider cultivation from 2002 and earned strong market recognition for its natural taro-like fragrance and plump, translucent grains, giving Wufeng the reputation as 'the best rice in western Taiwan' — paired with Chishang in eastern Taiwan under the saying 'Chishang in the east, Wufeng in the west.' A separate variety often confused with it, 'Taichung No. 194,' was actually named in 2009 by a different institution, the Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station, and shares neither lineage nor breeding origin with Yiquan fragrant rice.

Yiquan fragrant rice (Tainong No. 71) was bred by Taiwan's Agricultural Research Institute from a cross of the Japanese variety Kinuhikari (mother) and Tainung No. 4 (father), a process that took about nine years and was formally registered in October 2000, with cultivation expanding from 2002; the commercial name honors the late Dr. Kuo Yi-chuan, who led the breeding effort. The variety has been selected among Taiwan's Top Ten Classic Rice varieties in national competitions for multiple years, giving Wufeng its reputation as the best rice in western Taiwan. Note: the similarly named 'Taichung No. 194' is a separate japonica variety, named in 2009 by a different institution, the Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station — now headquartered in Dacun Township, Changhua County, not Wufeng — and shares neither breeding institution nor lineage with Yiquan fragrant rice.

What is Wufeng Taichung No. 194 Rice

Taichung No. 194 (Yiquan fragrant rice) was developed by the Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station in Wufeng. It is classified as an indica-type fragrant rice, though the grain is fuller and springier than conventional indica rice. Its most distinctive quality is a natural aroma resembling taro or puffed rice that emerges during cooking — this comes from aromatic compounds in the rice's genetic makeup, not from any additive. The grains absorb water at a moderate rate, cooking up with distinct, separate grains that don't clump easily. The texture remains springy even when the rice cools, making it an excellent choice for bento box rice.

Wufeng District sits at the southern end of the Taichung Basin, fed by the Wuxi River (Dadu River) with favorable day-night temperature variation — ideal conditions for high-quality rice cultivation. The Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station (Taichung DARES) is based in Wufeng and has conducted long-term rice breeding research there. Taichung No. 194 is its most significant breeding achievement. The Wufeng Farmers' Association has actively promoted rice brand-building under the 'Yiquan fragrant rice' trademark, establishing quality standards through evaluation systems. It stands as a successful case of agricultural product branding in Taiwan, and has driven surrounding farming families to transition toward branded agriculture.

How to eat it the local way

Local knowledge

Source: breeding records from the Taichung District Agricultural Research and Extension Station and publicly available information from the Wufeng Farmers' Association. Photos to be replaced with Dio's own images.