Chenopodium formosanum

Lore & Background

Chenopodium formosanum is known as djulis in the Paiwan language, mukun in Bunun, ba'e in Rukai, duli in Puyuma, and kowal in Amis. The Chinese common name 紅藜 (hónglí, literally 'red goosefoot') was coined by plant taxonomist 林志忠 Lín Zhìzhōng, who has worked with Taiwanese Indigenous communities for decades to revitalize traditional Indigenous crops and agriculture systems. To gain academic support for this restoration work, 林志忠 Lín Zhìzhōng worked with research teams from Pingtung University of Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University and National Kaohsiung University, to establish 紅藜 as an academically recognized common name. It is also known as red quinoa, though the name 'red goosefoot' is also used for the related species Oxybasis rubra, and as 'rainbow rice' due to its stripes.

Reader's Guide

Chenopodium formosanum was a key component of the diets of Formosan indigenous peoples, but because it is not a staple food or economic crop, instead traditionally used to make millet wine, it had largely disappeared from cultivation by the 2000s. Renewed interest in traditional foodstuffs has led to a revival of production with cultivation in Taitung County expanding from 40 hectares in 2015 to 200 hectares in 2018. This rapid expansion quickly glutted the market and surplus produce had to be stored. The species is part of the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity's Ark of Taste, highlighting its cultural and agricultural importance. Its high fiber and protein content contribute to its nutritional value, and its revival reflects broader efforts to restore traditional Indigenous crops and food systems in Taiwan.

Did You Know?

• Chenopodium formosanum is known as 'rainbow rice' due to its stripes.
• It was historically a staple food for many indigenous groups, not used for millet wine.
• Cultivation in Taitung County expanded from 40 hectares in 2015 to 200 hectares in 2018.
• The Chinese common name 紅藜 was coined by plant taxonomist 林志忠 Lín Zhìzhōng.

Indigenous Names & Cultural Roots

Chenopodium formosanum carries a constellation of names across Taiwan's indigenous languages, reflecting its deep entanglement with the cultures of the island's original inhabitants. In Paiwan it is called djulis, in Bunun it goes by mukun, the Rukai people know it as ba'e, Puyuma speakers refer to it as duli, and the Amis call it kowal. This multiplicity of native terms testifies to the plant's long-standing presence in the daily foodways of Formosan indigenous communities, where it served as a key dietary component. The plant was traditionally employed in the production of millet wine, embedding it in ceremonial and social practices that extended well beyond mere sustenance. The very fact that five distinct indigenous languages each preserve a unique word for this single species underscores how central it was to their agricultural and cultural landscapes before colonial and modern pressures reshaped Taiwan's food systems.

The Naming & Academic Recognition

The Chinese common name 紅藜, which translates literally to "red goosefoot," was not a spontaneous folk term but the deliberate creation of plant taxonomist 林志忠 Lín Zhìzhōng. Having spent decades collaborating with Taiwanese Indigenous communities to revive traditional crops and agricultural practices, Lín recognized the need for an academically grounded name that could anchor the plant in formal scholarship. To that end, he partnered with research teams at Pingtung University of Science and Technology, National Sun Yat-sen University, and National Kaohsiung University to establish 紅藜 as a recognized common name within academic discourse. This effort was strategic: securing institutional and scholarly backing would lend credibility to the broader restoration of Indigenous food systems. The plant is also colloquially called "red quinoa" and "rainbow rice" owing to its striped appearance, though the "red goosefoot" label creates some taxonomic ambiguity, as it is also applied to the related species Oxybasis rubra.

From Near-Extinction to Market Flood

For much of the twentieth century, Chenopodium formosanum drifted toward agricultural obscurity. Because it was never a staple grain or a major economic crop—its traditional role being the production of millet wine rather than bulk food supply—cultivation steadily waned, and by the 2000s the plant had largely vanished from Taiwan's farmland. The tide turned with a broader cultural resurgence of interest in traditional foodstuffs, which reignited demand for this endemic cereal. In Taitung County, planted acreage surged dramatically, climbing from 40 hectares in 2015 to 200 hectares just three years later in 2018. This rapid fourfold expansion, while celebrated as a victory for agricultural heritage, quickly overwhelmed local markets. Surplus harvests had to be warehoused, exposing the logistical challenges of scaling a crop that had been cultivated on a small, community level for generations. The plant's inclusion in the Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity's Ark of Taste further signals its status as a heritage food worth preserving.

Botanical Character & Nutritional Profile

Chenopodium formosanum is a cereal plant endemic to Taiwan, meaning it is found nowhere else in the natural world. Botanically, it belongs to the Chenopodium genus, placing it in the broader amaranth family of grain-producing species. What distinguishes it from many other cereals is its notably high content of both fiber and protein, attributes that make it nutritionally dense and align it with the health-conscious interest that has driven its modern revival. The seeds display distinctive striping, a visual trait that earned the plant the informal nickname "rainbow rice" among those who have encountered it in the market. Its classification as a cereal—rather than a legume, root, or leafy vegetable—positions it alongside rice, wheat, and quinoa in the global taxonomy of grain crops, even though its cultural and geographic roots are entirely confined to the island of Taiwan and the indigenous communities that once depended on it.