With a firm texture that cooks into loose, separated grains, Zailai Long-Grain Rice 在來米, of the indica subspecies, was the first staple rice cultivated at a large scale in Taiwan, different from the moister and stickier penglai rice that currently dominates the cuisine. Nowadays, it's not typically eaten on its own, but it's still essential to Taiwanese cooking.

The cultivar we import is Tainong Indica No. 14, grown by farmer Chuang Yu-Chih in Puzi, Chiayi.

Its high amylose content (a type of starch in rice) and dry, robust quality allow it to be easily processed into paste and flour while maintaining its delicate aroma, making it THE go-to type of rice for making rice-based foods like rice noodles, bawan (crystal meatballs), and radish cake.

This product is part of the Island of Dao: Taiwanese Rice Collection, a set of three single-origin Taiwanese rices grown by three smallholder farmers across the island, curated by Siang kháu Lū, a Taiwanese cultural kitchen and educational center promoting Taiwanese rice foodways.

Check out the rest of the collection:

• Penglai Short-Grain Rice
• Purple Glutinous Rice
• Island of Dao: Taiwanese Rice Collection

Why Rice, Why Now?

For centuries, rice has nourished families, sustained livelihoods, connected communities around cultural customs, and even shaped the terrain of Taiwan. In recent decades, however, rice consumption has dropped over fifty percent, from an average of 90 kg of rice per person per year forty years ago, to just 43 kg in 2022.

This decline presents challenges to farming—one of the oldest ways of life. As the cost of land increases and demand for rice drops, farmers may be less willing to cultivate rice, resulting in the gradual loss of farmland and disrupting their connection to and stewardship of that land.

In this set, Siang kháu Lū turns to Taiwanese rice as a means of exploring the agricultural conditions in Chiayi, Yilan, and Taoyuan. Across these areas, they've witnessed the changes affecting Taiwan’s farming communities, heard the voices of Taiwanese farmers, and embraced the diversity of Taiwanese rice cuisine and culture.

Tasting Notes and Usage

Dry and robust texture with a delicate aroma reminiscent of basmati

Zailai rice is best suited as an ingredient in these recipes and is not intended to be eaten directly. Make silver needle rice noodles 米篩目 (which are delicious stir-fried), bawan crystal meatballs 肉圓, steamed rice bowl cake 碗粿, and radish cake.

Ingredients and Instructions

Zailai rice (Tainong Indica No. 14)

Net Weight: 21.2 oz / 600 g

Refrigerate after opening. Best consumed within 6 months after opening.

About Siang kháu Lū

Located in a traditional san he yuan 三合院 residence in Taoyuan, Siang kháu Lū 雙口呂 is a family-run cultural kitchen that promotes the culinary heritage of Taiwan through kueh 粿 (rice cake) workshops, sharing the techniques and stories behind different rice traditions in Taiwan.

The name Siang Kháu Lū, which literally translates to "double entrance Lu," comes from the surname of co-founder Pei Yi's grandmother: Lü 呂. The character—two 口 connected by a path—symbolizes the connective intention of Siang Kháu Lū's founders. The archway leading into their cultural kitchen is a two-way entrance for guests to come in and partake in traditional rice delicacies, then take away with them a greater understanding of Taiwan's rice-based agriculture and cultural practices.