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Some foreign friends of mine prefer to buy imported vegetables and fruit. This is really not necessary. A case in point is lettuce. Organic romaine lettuce is available right here in Taiwan, you just need to know where to look.

You also need to be able to read a few Chinese characters, which is not a given for most foreigners. The key words are:
Yeouji Shutsay (in Gwoyeu Luomaatzyh [National Romanization, Mandarin tonal spelling -- LOW-HIGH HIGH-FALL): Organic Vegetables.

Organic produce in Taiwan is independently inspected and verified (the subject of a future TEFB posting?), so it is probably better than ordinary vegetables and fruit.

However, it doesn't hurt to be suspicious. Here's an easy way to see if your lettuce really is organic: look at your veggies and check for bugs (or bug holes). Guaranteed Organic Taiwanese Lettuce: Free Bugs!Rinse all leaves thoroughly before eating or leave some bugs on if you want extra protein! If your lettuce is grown hydroponically, you don't need to worry about parasites -- enjoy a healthy salad made with Taiwan lettuce.

How can you tell if your Taiwanese lettuce is grown hydroponically? Again, very easy: the root ball will have some sort of sponge attached to it. If you don't see a bit of sponge, you might be better off briefly (~20 sec.) immersing your lettuce in boiling water -- if you . It spoils the texture, but it saves you from worrying about parasites (I've had the runs more than once after eating non-organic watercress salad I made myself).