Zaoliang Sweet Potatoes

Zaoliang Sweet Potatoes

　　Zaoliang sweet potatoes are a specialty of Zaoliang County in Hengshui City, Hebei Province. These sweet potatoes are uniform and neatly shaped, with an elongated form and smooth surface. Their skin is yellow in color and they are rich in vitamins and carotene, with sugar content reaching up to 30%. They can be eaten fresh or cooked, and their products are deeply loved by consumers.

　　Sweet potatoes are a renowned local agricultural product with distinctive features in Zaoliang County, Hebei Province. The cultivated variety is the virus-free Beijing 553, which produces uniformly shaped, elongated sweet potatoes with smooth surfaces and yellow skin. They are rich in vitamins and carotene, with sugar content as high as 30%, and can be eaten either fresh or cooked. Their products are highly popular among consumers. Beyond food consumption, they are also important industrial raw materials for making alcohol and starch, and can be used to produce lactic acid, monosodium glutamate, citric acid, starch, and more. They can also be processed into various types of vermicelli and noodles, making them extremely versatile. This product has been awarded the title of Renowned Agricultural Product of Hebei Province multiple times.

　　In recent years, under the correct guidance of the Zaoliang County government, the Dongfang brand of virus-free sweet potatoes has developed into a production base centered around Xiaozhang Town and extending to six surrounding towns, covering an area of 28,000 mu. Advanced planting and management techniques have been implemented, gradually increasing yield from the original 1,500 kilograms per mu to over 3,000 kilograms today, with average income per mu reaching about 1,500 yuan. Growing sweet potatoes has become one of the main ways for local farmers to increase their income.

　　Virus-free sweet potatoes feature a smooth, uniform shape and sweet, smooth taste. They contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, crude fiber, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, ascorbic acid, ash, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. They can invigorate the spleen and boost energy, promote fluid production and relieve thirst, and aid bowel movements. They offer benefits such as anti-cancer properties, lowering plasma cholesterol levels, preventing arteriosclerosis, anti-aging, protecting vision, and enhancing the body’s immunity. As a result, the medical community ranks them first among anti-cancer fruits and vegetables, and nutritionists call them a “longevity food.”