MAQAW AND TANA
In each culture, spices serve two purposes: improving the aroma and increasing the flavor of a dish. The Atayal kitchen features two indispensable indigenous spices, maqaw and tana, that have transcended their traditional utility to become modern culinary sensations.
The Atayal people inhabit the largest area of all the indigenous tribes. Their villages stretch from the mountainous foothills of Wulai Township just south of Taipei to the high mountains of Renai Township in central Taiwan. They extend as far west as Dongshi Township, Taichung, and as far east as Taroko National Park. Maqaw and tana grow in these mountain areas at altitudes between 500m to 2000m.
A tana tree. (right)
The Atayal people call the mountains home. Along with the Tsou, Rukai, and Bunun, their traditional source of protein has been wild game hunted in wilderness areas. Lacking a dependable source of salt, their ancestors discovered and utilized maqaw as a substitute. Maqaw is a pungent spice with gingery, lemon-like, lemongrass, and citrus-like flavors. Today, we benefit from this knowledge in the form of delicious grilled maqaw-cured wild boar sausage. On a hot summer day, accompanied by an aperitif or two, it’s a very relaxing meal. Maqaw powder can also be used to spike a coffee, adding fruity aromas and the taste of sweet citrus.
The maqaw plant (also known as ‘Mountain Litsea’), grows best in sunny areas with moist soil. It is a dioecious species that reproduces sporadically. The plant’s average lifespan is around 7 to 8 years. The entire plant is useful from an economical perspective. The male plant is used to distill essential oil, the female plant produces the magaw spice, and fresh leaves from both are used in cooking. Despite the plant’s temperamental nature, in 2015 the Atayal Agricultural Coop in Wulai started a maqaw cultivation program.
Baby maqaw plants waiting to be planted. (right)
The Co-op’s president Zhou Zhi-guo (also the owner of the associated Qulaw Organic Farm) is a fourth-generation resident of Wulai. His ancestors immigrated from Nantou during the Japanese Colonial Era. Today, he continues to protect the land of his ancestors while teaching his fellow Atayal the benefits of organic farming. In 5 years, he has expanded the Co-op’s certified organic farmland from 5 hectares to 120 hectares.
While ‘maqaw’ is originally an Atayal word, the plant’s use as a spice has spread to other indigenous cultures on the island. Recently, it was crucial to the success of award-winning Taiwanese master bakers Wu Pao-chun and Chen Yao-hsun in international competitions. Today, both magaw and tana are well-known local spices appearing in upscale Taipei restaurants like Mountain & Sea House Restaurant’s “Wild abalone braised in tana spice”. Likewise, Alex, the Rukai chef of AKAME restaurant in Wutai Township, Pingtung, uses indigenous ingredients such as mountain angelica sinensis, indigenous cinnamon, large-leaved nanmu fruit, the indigenous spices of tana and maqaw, and other foraged ingredients in his cooking.
Before the ubiquity of refrigerators, the Atayal people used sections of bamboo sealed with leaves to preserve spices like maqaw. Today, as we continue to strive for healthy and eco-friendly lifestyles, we can be grateful for the ecological knowledge of their ancestors. For more
