發布日期：2021-09-10
鹽膚木 Boosu（魯凱語）
鹽膚木屬於落葉喬木、雌雄異木的樹種，每年的10月至11月是果實的盛產季節，鹽膚木果實熟成的時間，會有一層雪白色結晶體覆蓋在上面，嚐起來有薄薄的鹹味
早期部落沒有冰箱，魯凱族人們使用鹽膚木製作醃肉來保存，煮湯時放一小株來提升湯的味道，亦當作零嘴挑逗舌尖，果實入口微鹹帶酸又甘甜的奇妙感覺，木在中亞地區也是重要的香料，常被用作燒肉、開味菜的調味，也可製成沙拉醬。鹽膚木的枝幹是獵人製作火藥的材料，燃燒時會劈啪作響。但部落青年求婚時砍來的「情材」若是這種輕軟的木材，可是會被女方親屬視為能力不足哦！
（資料來源：台東部落食尚、 行政院農業委員會、台灣原味等）
Boosu is categorized as a deciduous and dioecious tree, and every October and November is the harvest season for its fruits. As boosu fruits ripen, a layer of snow-white crystals would be covered over them, which give a slightly salty flavor.
There was no fridge in the tribes in the old days, so Rukai people would use boosu to marinate meat for preservation. When cooking soup, a small bunch of boosu is put in to enhance soup’s taste; boosu can also be a snack that gives a tingly sensation – the fruits give an interesting flavor that first tastes slightly savory, yet it is also sour and sweet. Boosu is also an important herb to be used in the Central Asian region; it has often been treated as a seasoning for BBQ and appetizers, and it can also be made into salad dressing. Stems of Boosu are the materials that hunters use to make gunpowder, and when it burns, it will give a crackling sound. However, if tribal young men are making marriage proposals using these light and soft pieces of “love wood”, he will be regarded by the lady’s family as incompetent!