Picking bayberries in
Xianju, Taizhou, is a culinary feast steeped in millennia of agricultural
heritage and the beauty of the surrounding mountains and rivers. This
"fairyland," nestled between the Kuacang and Dalei Mountains, boasts
unique mountain basin terrain, sandy red soil with a moderate acidity and
alkalinity, and abundant rainfall and sunshine, creating exceptional conditions
for bayberry growth.
The local area's varying altitudes allow for staggered ripening, resulting in plump, purple-black fruits with rounded, blunt stems, juicy, and sweet flavor. Entering the bayberry forest, the heavy, reddish-purple fruits dangle amidst the lush green foliage, their fragrance wafting through the mountain breeze.
To pick, grasp the
fruit stem with your thumb and index finger, gently twisting it. Picking the
fruit with the stem keeps it fresher. Choose fruits that are deep red, almost
purple, with a dry stem and plump flesh for the most refreshing and sweet
taste.
The picked bayberries
can be enjoyed on site or taken home in baskets. Those with sensitive stomachs
can soak them in light salt water before eating. In the bayberry forest of
Xianju, you can not only harvest a basket full of "ruby"-like fresh
fruits, but also personally experience the fusion of the "fairyland"
mountains and waters with farming wisdom, making the sour and sweet taste the
most vivid memory of summer.























