Four indigenous Taiwan grains have entered into the Ark of Taste, an international database of endangered heritage foods, at the Salone del Gusto and Terra Madre expo held recently in Turin, Italy
Djulis, a native Chenopodium species similar to quinoa, along with glutinous millet and the purple and red varieties of glutinous rice, were preserved in the cataloguing project maintained by Florence-headquartered Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity.
Wu Mei-mao, agriculture activist based in New Taipei City, said the listing enables Taiwan to promote unique local agricultural experiences worldwide and play its part in protecting biodiversity.
Over 1,700 edibles and food practices, including the livestock breed used for making prosciutto di Parma, a rare Peruvian corn and a critically endangered cheese-making process, have been registered in the Ark of Taste since its establishment in 1996.
