每到冬季，在公館總是可以見到田裡鋪著一顆顆的芥菜，看似乾燥萎縮的褐黃芥菜，其實正在轉變成最有特色的地方特產–福菜。香氣四溢、味道甘美的福菜，是苗栗客家菜裡不可或缺的食材，無論是家中的餐桌或是餐廳、小館，都能見到它的蹤跡。
滋味濃郁醇香的福菜，原料卻簡單的令人覺得不可思議，就只是「芥菜」加「鹽」，每年11月將成熟的芥菜採下後，經過農民一步步的用心製作，加上時間與氣候的自然催化，成就出了口感甘美的田園美味。其中，曝曬福菜是最辛苦的過程，要在田中鋪上稻草，彎腰鋪好一顆顆的芥菜，不久後要來回翻面，晚上又要收進桶中，重覆多次曝曬程序小心呵護，才能讓芥菜們進入「冬眠」，慢慢發酵成福菜，就像是毛毛蟲蛻變成蝴蝶一般。
早期的福菜都是緊緊的壓進玻璃瓶裡保存，這麼做的原因是為了避免空氣接觸到福菜而影響風味，媽媽們下廚時，甚至要用鐵絲才能把福菜從瓶中勾出來，這也變成了客家婦女們的獨門絕活。但現在，聰明的農民們將福菜真空包裝，不但食用方便，也可以隔絕空氣，媽媽們再也不用大費周章的和福菜搏鬥了。不過這裡仍保留了瓶裝福菜的傳統，等著懷舊又勤勞的您，一起重溫那屬於老公館的懷舊菜香。
現今工業化時代下，分秒必爭，一切事務都講求快速、效率，民眾忽略了福菜的產製過程，更無法體會手工醃製福菜、等待福菜曝曬發酵的樂趣；不過福菜傳統卻富有多元樣貌的特性，一入口鮮味四溢，魂牽夢縈的鹹甘老味道，讓人不禁想起跟著阿公、阿婆在芥菜田裡穿梭嬉戲，那份對兒時記憶中無法抹滅的珍貴回憶和趣味。
就是為了找回大人童年美好的回憶，也讓小朋友離開電腦、電視，營造溫馨的親子生活，延續傳統的客家福菜文化，公館鄉在2011年首次舉辦第一屆全國客家福菜節活動，引起廣大迴響，吸引全國各地民眾帶著孩子參加，學習自製福菜的過程，展現千人「齊力去踩福 千人踏鹹菜」的壯觀景象後，繼續規劃辦理了3年，在2015年，計畫將公館客家福菜節擴大為國際觀光活動，預計於2015年1月24日、25日（星期六、日）辦理。
In Gongguan Miaoli, we can see Chinese mustards lying in the fields in an orderly manner when winter is coming. The drying brown Chinese mustards are transforming into a local delicacy – fu-tsai. The aromatic and tasty fu-tsai (pickled vegetable) is an indispensable ingredient in Hakka cuisine. It can always be seen on the dining table in people's homes, restaurants and bistros.
The tasty fu-tsai is actually made from very simple ingredients—Chinese mustard and salt. Every November, after harvesting the Chinese mustard, farmers begin to preserve vegetables through numerous processes with time and weather to help catalyze them. Among those processes, sun drying is the most laborious. Famers have to pave the fields with hays before laying Chinese mustard on top one by one. The vegetables have to be turned upside down manually from time to time. And for the night, they need to be put into pottery jars with care. The repeated sun drying process allows the Chinese mustard to fall into “hibernation”. The dried mustard is then stored in pottery jars for fermentation. The making of fu-tsai is just like the metamorphosis of caterpillars into butterflies.
In early times, fu-tsai was preserved in air-tight glass jars to prevent the air from spoiling its taste and aroma. Mothers were forced to dig out the pickled and fermented Chinese mustard out of the jars with wires before cooking. Gradually, digging pickles has become one of Hakka women's special skills. Nowadays, people make fu-tsai in a smarter way – vacuum bags. Hakka women no long need to battle with fu-tsai to dig them out. However, the tradition of jarred Chinese mustard has been retained here in Gongguan Township. You are welcome to feel the nostalgia and taste the aromatic fu-tsai here.
In today's industrialized society, people demand to be fast and efficient, ignoring the traditional way to make fu-tsai. They can hardly enjoy the fun brought by pickling fu-tsai and waiting to collect them after sun drying and storing them after fermentation. Yet, the fu-tsai tradition is rather diverse. The tasty and aromatic, salty and sweet fu-tsai reminds us of the fun of running in the fields while our grannies were making fu-tsai. It resembles the past memories and fun deep in our heart.
In 2011, to help adults refresh their happy childhood memories and keep children away from computers and TV screens by offering them a joyous family time, Hakka Fu-tsai Cultural Festival was first organized in Gongguan Township and was very well received. More importantly, to continue the Hakka fu-tsai tradition, the “fu-tsai stepping by 1000 people” activity was held and attracted visitors from all across Taiwan with their children here to enjoy the fun of preparing fu-tsai together. After the first success, the grand activity has been organized for three consecutive years. In 2014, this activity will be expanded to an international tourism event —“ Gongguan Hakka Fu-Tsai Cultural Festival 2014 in Miaoli”— on January 24th (Saturday) 2015 and January 25th (Sunday) 2015.
Intangible values
The “ Gongguan 2015 Hakka Fu-Tsai Cultural Festival in Miaoli” is conducted in a hope to upgrade Hakka agricultural industry and the aesthetic values of traditional crafts in Gongguan, Miaoli by integrating regional art and traditional industries, with the introduction of the “pottery culture” theme this year. Also, the image of Gongguang as a town of fu-tsai and ceramics is expected to be promoted nationwide through an overall planning and marketing of traditional local crafts and produce during the celebration activities.
