Qingliu Snow Potato

Qingliu Snow Potato

Qingliu Snow Potato is an agricultural product with a geographical indication.

　　Qingliu County is one of the well-known ancestral homelands of the Hakka people, with a strong Hakka cultural atmosphere throughout the region. The Jiajing-Daoguang Edition of the Qingliu County Annals, compiled during the Ming Dynasty, records: “Shuyu, commonly known as snow potato. One variety grows in the mountains, very firm and flavorful, beneficial to health, and is called the snow potato.” The Qingliu County Annals state that snow potatoes play a significant role in traditional festivals. On New Year’s Eve, families commonly prepare meals with chicken, snow potato, or radish stewed with meat to celebrate the reunion and the New Year. Qingliu County has a long history of cultivating and consuming snow potatoes. Over time, farmers have developed a unique cultivation method, giving rise to distinct variety traits and product characteristics. Qingliu snow potatoes have medium plant vigor, with triangular leaves that are hastate at the base, tapering to a point at the tip. The top leaves are green, mature leaves are dark green, leaf edges are slightly wavy, and the leaf surface is not smooth. The individual snow potatoes are large, round, and uniform in size, with a yellowish-brown skin, few root hairs, firm texture, rich powderiness, white flesh, abundant sticky juice when cut, and a delicious, delicate taste. They are considered the best in the surrounding regions and are regarded as a premium variety of potato. By the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, Qingliu snow potatoes had gained fame for their superior quality and were even supplied to the capital. Qingliu County is the largest producer of snow potatoes in Fujian Province, with a long cultivation history. The government has introduced policies to encourage large-scale planting by farmers, effectively promoting the scaled production of Qingliu snow potatoes. The cultivation area covers around 4,800 mu, with an annual output of nearly 10,000 tons. It is a major cash crop in the region and has become one of the county’s renowned, high-quality, and specialty agricultural products.

　　“Qingliu Snow Potato” is the first nationally certified geographical indication product in Qingliu County, recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture. It boasts larger, rounder, and more uniform tubers, a firm texture, less sticky juice upon cutting, minimal browning, good storability, as well as a richly powdery, delicate, snow-white appearance and delicious flavor.

　　In 2012, Qingliu County increased policy support, strengthened technological guidance and demonstration, and vigorously developed snow potato cultivation. Three standardized, high-yield, high-quality cultivation bases integrating five new technologies were established in Longjin Town, Songkou Town, and Laifang Township. Leading enterprises for snow potato production and processing were set up, farmer cooperatives were organized, making snow potatoes an important crop for increasing local farmers’ income. According to statistics, the county has now developed over 7,000 mu of large-scale snow potato cultivation, generating an income increase of 120 million yuan for farmers in 2012 alone.

　　Qingliu County Cash Crop Technology Extension Station

　　Location: 2013

　　Geographical Scope

　　Qingliu produces yams, commonly known as snow potatoes. The protected area spans from 116°38′ to 117°10′ east longitude and from 25°48′ to 26°21′ north latitude. The protected region includes eight townships: LinShe Township, Songxi Town, Longjin Town, Songkou Town, Wenjiao Township, Yupeng Township, Shawu Township, and Laifang Township, covering 63 villages in total. The total protected area is 1,290 square kilometers. Qingliu County is located in western Fujian Province, on the southern side of the Wuyi Mountains, upstream of the Jiulong River. It borders Yong’an City to the east, Liancheng County to the south, Ninghua County to the northwest, and Mingxi County to the northeast. Currently, the county’s annual snow potato planting area is approximately 4,800 mu, with an annual output of about 9,574 tons.

　　Product Quality and Characteristic Features

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: The tubers are long-cylindrical, relatively large, round, and uniform in size, with a firm texture, yellowish-brown skin, few root hairs, minimal sticky juice upon cutting, low browning tendency, and good storability. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Qingliu snow potatoes are highly nutritious and valuable. Testing shows that per 100 grams, they contain 8.15–8.56 grams of protein, 56.00–60.50 grams of starch, 1.75–2.25 grams of ash, 6.32–6.86 grams of amino acids (including 17 types such as glutamic acid and arginine), and 1.06–1.53 grams of crude fiber. 3. Safety Requirements: The quality of Qingliu snow potatoes must comply with the standards of the “Pollution-Free Food Tuber and Root Vegetables” (NY5221-2005).