Xinhui Sweet Water Radish

Xinhui Sweet Water Radish

　　The Sweet Water Radish is one of the specialties of Xinhui. Legend has it that a feng shui master from Jiangxi was tracing dragon veins, following them from Shuibei Snake Mountain all the way to Sanshi Village in Yaxi. Crossing streams and wading through water, he became thirsty in the heat. He cupped his hands at the edge of a stream and drank some water, finding it very sweet. He believed that a dragon vein passed through this place, so he named the area “Sweet Water Village.” The radishes grown by local farmers in Sweet Water Village were not only high-yielding but also particularly sweet, crisp, juicy, tender, and free of residue—delicious and appetizing. Before long, the Sweet Water Radishes of Yaxi became widely known and developed into a famous local specialty of Xinhui.

　　According to historical records, Sweet Water Radishes began to be cultivated in the fourth year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1799), and they have a history of over 200 years. What makes the Sweet Water Radish unique is its distinctive geographical conditions and special climate environment. Sweet Water Village is located on a basin at the foot of the Gudou Mountain, a major mountain range in the Pearl River Delta. Gudou Mountain receives an annual rainfall of 3,000 millimeters—twice as much as the Hui Cheng area. The abundant rainfall is absorbed by the dense forests and seeps into underground mineral layers, dissolving rich mineral elements into the water. This mineral-rich water then flows out continuously through countless springs and converges into the Sweet Water Pit. The sweet water of the Sweet Water Pit flows endlessly, passing by “Jiao Bei Shi” (a local name; the site features two large rocks, one lying upside down and the other right side up, resembling worshippers placing their “shells” before deities), nourishing the land around Jiao Bei Shi near the Sweet Water Pit. Over 230 acres of land at Jiao Bei Shi consist entirely of sandy loam formed from a mixture of fine sand and silt. The soil is soft, not compacted, with moderate water absorption. Coupled with a deep tillage layer and a base of burnt rock (metamorphic granite) that prevents excessive water drainage, the terrain is ideal for radish cultivation. The villagers of Sweet Water Village took advantage of the unique soil at Jiao Bei Shi to grow radishes and irrigated them with the sweet water from the Sweet Water Pit, thus producing a special local product—the Sweet Water Radish.

　　Within the several hundred acres of land at Jiao Bei Shi, there are a few plots (about two acres or more) that are particularly remarkable. Radishes grown in these plots take about one hundred days to mature, requiring no fertilization or pest control, yet they grow vigorously and stay lush green. By harvest time, each radish weighs five to six pounds, with smooth skin, free from sand mite damage or astringent peel. Unfortunately, during the “grain-first” period of the 1960s, seawater mud was pumped into these plots to grow rice, altering the soil composition. Though the radishes now grown there may show slight astringency on the peel, it has little impact on their overall quality.

　　Sweet Water Radishes are not grown year-round but are typically sown in late August each year and harvested before April of the following year. Each growing cycle lasts about three months. There are two main varieties: the “Dongzhi Bu” (planted around the Winter Solstice) and the “Datou Bu” (literally “Big Head Radish”). The “Dongzhi Bu” is mostly harvested around the Winter Solstice, while the “Datou Bu” is harvested around the Spring Festival or by the second lunar month.

　　Sweet Water Radishes have always been popular in the commercial market. Many people buy them as gifts or in bulk for restaurants to prepare as premium dishes. Since 2003, after building its brand, the Sweet Water Radish has gained even broader sales both domestically and internationally. Currently, the government of Yaxi Town plans to widen the roads on both sides of the radish fields, further expanding cultivation areas, and to establish an agricultural base that integrates tourism, planting, and sales.