Shenlongjia Potatoes

Shenlongjia Potatoes

Shenlongjia potatoes are a protected geographical indication product.

　　Shenlongjia potatoes are a specialty of Shenlongjia Forest District in Hubei Province. The potatoes from Shenlongjia are small and round—some as tiny as beans, others about the same size as those commonly seen in markets. They are grown on sloping land at altitudes of around 1,000 meters, boast a high starch content, and have a delicate texture that is sweet, powdery, and fragrant.

　　The mountain folk of Shenlongjia still call potatoes "yangyu," and sometimes if you forget to switch to saying “potato,” they might not even understand—you’d think potatoes were not one of their staple foods. Townsfolk sometimes joke: What are you eating? Fried yangyu with potato? Yangyu is potato. In Shenlongjia, there’s a way of eating potatoes whole, called “eating yangyu fruit,” playfully dubbed “golden fruit.” Shenlongjia potatoes are small and round—some as tiny as beans, others about the same size as those commonly seen in markets—and are grown on sloping land at altitudes of around 1,000 meters. They have a high starch content, delicate texture, and are sweet, powdery, and fragrant. The potatoes of Shenlongjia can quite hold their own against those from Wuzhai in Luya Mountain, Shanxi—they’re just lesser known, tucked away deep in the mountains.

　　Golden fruit is one of the staple foods. Fresh potatoes are peeled, then simmered in a pot until cooked, followed by slow baking over a low flame and a light drizzle of oil for frying. The golden fruit turns a shiny, golden yellow. Serve it in a bowl, pick it up with chopsticks, and enjoy it slowly—its rich potato flavor fills your mouth. For making golden fruit, newly harvested potatoes are best. Grown in the dry fields of the mountainside, these fresh potatoes are dug out from brown soil, naturally golden and perfectly round—hence the apt nickname “fruit.” A local mountain folk poem goes: Roast by the fire, eat yangyu fruit, drink corn liquor with cured meat, if not a god, then surely me.

　　The production area of Shenlongjia potatoes includes the following eight administrative regions under the jurisdiction of Shenlongjia Forest District, Hubei Province: Songbai Town, Yangri Town, Muyu Town, Hongping Town, Xinhua Town, Dajiuhu Town, Songluo Township, and Xiagu Township.