Mingxi Chinese Yam

Mingxi Chinese Yam

Mingxi Chinese Yam is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Mingxi Chinese Yam is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　  Mingxi Chinese Yam, also known as yam or locally called shuzi, has a long history of cultivation in Mingxi. Local farmers have a traditional habit of growing Chinese yams, making it one of the region’s major featured and advantageous agricultural products. It is known for its excellent taste and superior quality. Rich in nutrients, it contains various essential components required by the human body, making it not only a delicious vegetarian delicacy but also a famous dish on the dining tables of the region and even across Fujian Province. Currently, the county is implementing projects such as standardized Chinese yam production and high-quality yam seed programs. The "Mingxi Chinese Yam No. 1" variety has been recognized as a new variety by the Fujian Variety Approval Committee.

　　  The cultivation of Chinese yam in Mingxi has a long history, with records of its planting dating back to the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, where it was referred to as "shu," also called "xue shu" (snow yam) or "xiao shu" (small yam). Folklore tells of Xinqi Niang, a woman from the Five Dynasties period and the wife of a military commander known as Lady Huili, who, after her husband’s death, led troops into battle in his honor and returned victorious. Skilled in medicine, she would grind fresh Chinese yam on rough stone surfaces to form a paste, mix it with powdered red mushrooms or shiitake, add minced meat, and create a dish known as “shuzi soup.” This helped solve the problems of infants lacking breast milk and suffering from illness, and also gave rise to a local delicacy that has been passed down to this day. Based on this, the history of Chinese yam cultivation in Mingxi can be traced back over 500 years. The county annals of the Republic of China era also recorded: “Merchants from Jiangxi purchased local snow yams, peeled them, cut them into strips, dried them by baking, and turned them into yam. Those produced in Fujian were called Jian Shan and were considered as valuable as Chinese yam, enjoying a wide market.” Mingxi Chinese Yam has always been renowned for its superior quality and excellent taste. The tubers are long and stick-like, with many rootlets, yellowish-brown or dark brown skin, about 70 cm in length, and 3.0–4.0 cm in diameter. They feature thin skin, snow-white flesh, dense texture, and are fine, sticky, and smooth. They are rich in amino acids, vitamins, minerals, pectin, saponins, and more. When cooked, they become tender without falling apart, exuding a glutinous fragrance with a refreshing taste. The county plants an annual area of 15,000 mu, with a yield exceeding 30,000 tons, making it one of the region’s major field economic crops and featured agricultural products. Currently, there are 5 Chinese yam processing enterprises in the county, mainly developing a range of processed products such as yam wine, beverages, noodles, cookies, egg rings, fresh yam products, and frozen foods. Under the leadership of key enterprises, the county has established a provincial-level yam farmers’ entrepreneurship demonstration base, initially forming an industrial chain of “leading enterprises + cooperatives + bases + farmers,” which promotes increased agricultural efficiency and greater income for farmers.

　　  Mingxi County is located in the northwest of Fujian, traversed by the Longxi Mountain Range and Shigongwu Mountain Range of the Wuyi Mountain system. It lies between longitude 116°47′–117°35′ east and latitude 26°08′–26°39′ north, within a mountainous and hilly region. The production area of Mingxi Chinese Yam covers 56 administrative villages across 9 towns and townships within Mingxi County’s administrative region, namely Huanxian Town, Hufang Town, Gaiyang Town, Xuefeng Town, Xiayang Township, Shaxi Township, Xiapu Township, Fengxi Township, and Chengguan Township. These areas range in elevation from 180 meters to 900 meters, with a total production area of 1,100 hectares and an annual output of 30,000 tons.