Gao Zhaoming crowned "Mushroom King" at Taichung Xinshe quality evaluation event

Gao Zhaoming has been crowned "Mushroom King" at the annual High-Quality Mushroom Evaluation event held by the Xinshe Farmers' Association in Taichung City. His mushrooms impressed judges with their superior quality, earning him the top honor.

The competition saw 32 entries of high-quality dried mushrooms, each with a diameter of over 6 centimeters. Experts evaluated them based on appearance, thickness, and aroma. Hou Wenliang and Xu Yaowen secured the second place, while Zhan Zhichi, Liao Junyan, and Xu Yuancheng shared the third prize. Ten other participants received honorable mentions.

Xinshe District is a significant mushroom-producing hub in Taiwan. The area cultivates approximately 100 million bags of mushrooms annually across 224 hectares, yielding a total of 2,527 metric tons. This production accounts for about 60% of Taiwan's total mushroom supply, making Xinshe the leading mushroom-producing region in the country.

During the event, the Xinshe Farmers' Association also launched new products. These include a limited-edition "Mushroom Guai Guai," a collaboration that combines classic rice snacks with finely ground Xinshe black winter mushroom powder, offering a unique local flavor. Additionally, packaging designs for "King Oyster Mushroom Dumplings," "Mushroom Sausages," and "Mushroom Crackers" were enhanced to improve product quality and brand recognition.

Gao Zhaoming, who has been cultivating mushrooms for 25 years and previously won the runner-up title three years ago, attributed his success to the farmers' association introducing superior mushroom strains and his adoption of AI-driven smart cultivation management two years ago, especially in the face of climate change impacting cultivation.