Xinliao Powder Sweet Potato

Xinliao Powder Sweet Potato

　　Sweet potato, also known as yam, batata, red sweet potato, or white sweet potato, is originally from South America. Research shows that it was introduced to China during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, approximately 400 years ago. As for the history of sweet potatoes in China, it is mentioned in the “Records of Southern Plants” by Ji Han of the Jin Dynasty, which states: “Sweet potato is a type of yam or perhaps taro. Its roots and leaves resemble those of taro, and the fruit is fist-sized or bowl-shaped, with purple skin and white flesh. When steamed or boiled, it tastes like yam and is not very cold in nature. In the ancient region of Zhuya, people living by the sea did not engage in farming but instead dug up the land to plant sweet potatoes. When autumn came, they harvested them, steamed and dried them, then cut them into rice-sized pieces to store in granaries as food supplies—this was called 'sweet potato grain.'” This shows that sweet potatoes were already referred to by that name during the Three Kingdoms and Jin periods. According to Chinese historical records, the origin of sweet potatoes is Central and South America, and they were introduced to Luzon Island in 1565 AD. Historical accounts state that in the 21st year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1593 AD), Chen Zhenlong, an overseas Chinese from Changle County, Fujian Province, who was residing in the Philippines, secretly brought sweet potato vines back to Fujian despite the Spanish colonial authorities’ strict ban on exporting the vines under penalty of severe punishment. After successful trial planting in Zhangzhou, the cultivation spread throughout various provinces across northern and southern China. Due to the sweet potato’s early maturation and ease of cultivation and propagation, it played a significant role in the production and supply of food, fodder, and industrial raw materials during both the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Republican era, and after the founding of the People’s Republic, especially in times of war and famine, when it helped supplement shortages of staple grains.

　　Guangdong Province has a climate suitable for sweet potato growth, with planting occurring all year round, though winter planting covers a larger area. According to the “Annals of Guangdong Province”: “In 1987, the planting area was 9.0039 million mu, with a total yield of 1.632 million tons, accounting for 9.8% and 8.9% of the province’s total grain planting area and yield, respectively. Sweet potatoes are widely distributed across the province, but are more concentrated south of the line from Raoping–Guangzhou–Yunan, particularly in the three tableland regions of Qiongzhou, Leizhou, and Hailufeng, which are drier and dominated by sandy and sandy loam soils. Counties and cities such as Lufeng, Suixi, Lianjiang, Yangjiang, Zhanjiang, Haikang, Haifeng, Huazhou, Gaozhou, Chaoyang, Puning, Wenchang, Jieyang, Huidong, Danzhou, Wuchuan, Yingde, Yangshan, Huidong, Raoping, Qingyuan, Yangchun, Dongfang, Qionghai, Lingao, and Xuwen all have sweet potato planting areas exceeding 100,000 mu, collectively accounting for over 50% of the province’s total.” Over the more than 20 years since the reform and opening-up policy, as living standards have improved, the role of sweet potatoes as a staple food has gradually declined, leading to a year-by-year decrease in planting area.

　　Sweet potatoes are grown all over southern China, but Xinliao Island in Xuwen County is located at the northern edge of the tropics, where abundant light and heat create extremely favorable conditions for sweet potato growth. Moreover, the soil in coastal villages on the island is loose, with moderate acidity and alkalinity, and the climate is suitable for growing various types of powder-rich sweet potatoes. Thanks to the high-yield characteristics of Xinliao sweet potatoes, their strong environmental adaptability, and their resilience to disasters and regenerative ability of stems and leaves, they are also well-known for their unique island-growing environment and high starch content.

　　Xinliao sweet potatoes are cultivated in the sandy soil of the isolated Xinliao Island. Currently, over 10,000 mu of the island is planted with sweet potatoes. It is often said that Xinliao Island has one treasure: its sweet and delicious sweet potatoes. Among them, two varieties are particularly famous. One is the Guangshu, also known as Xinliao Powder Sweet Potato—a large, white sweet potato variety that yields a high amount of powder. It features an ivory-white color and is renowned for its high starch content, large size, and sweet taste. The other is called Qianlixiang Sweet Potato, which is dark red in color. These Qianlixiang sweet potato chips retain their natural color and quality, featuring a bright red hue, a fragrant and sweet taste, a soft and powdery texture, and high levels of glucose, vitamin A, and B. Just as its name suggests, its sweetness spreads across the county and its fragrance reaches the whole province.

　　When leaving the island of sweet potatoes—Xinliao Island—the islanders told us that to plant sweet potatoes, you simply need to diagonally insert the sweet potato sprouts (vines) into the ground and apply sufficient base fertilizer. Then, accompanied by the ever-strengthening sea breeze on the island, the sweet potatoes mature almost unnoticed, with their emerald green leaves tinged with purple, and their trumpet-shaped flowers blooming faintly…