Ship Chong Pueraria

Ship Chong Pueraria

　　Pueraria is a tuberous vegetable planted in spring and harvested in winter. It is rich in starch and commonly used by people in Jiangmen to make soups, cook dishes, or extract starch for consumption. Pueraria also has medicinal properties that help cool the body and lower blood pressure, making it suitable for use in therapeutic diets. Among various producing areas, the pueraria from Ship Chong in the urban area, Yana in Xinhui, and Yunxiang in Heshan are particularly renowned for their high starch content, low fiber content, fragrant taste, and sweetness.

　　The large pueraria produced in Ship Chong Township (now Baishi, Pengjiang District, Jiangmen City) in the suburbs of Jiangmen is plump, smooth, and well-shaped, tapering at both ends while being thick in the middle. Its skin is extremely thin, and it boasts a sweet taste, rich starch, and low fiber content—hence it is known as Ship Chong Pueraria. Ship Chong Pueraria has long enjoyed a high reputation in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Macau.

　　Ship Chong Pueraria helps clear heat and can be used in soups, braises, or stews. During harvest season, many farmers grind the pueraria into powder, which is then dried for later use. When preparing Ship Chong pueraria powder, simply mix a small amount of water with the powder, add brown sugar, and stir in boiling water to form a paste (or boil it in a pot). Consuming the pueraria powder can help clear heat and detoxify the body, providing quick and noticeable relief for conditions such as damp-heat, internal heat, and toothaches.

　　Residents of Ship Chong Village often give Ship Chong pueraria powder as a specialty gift when visiting relatives or friends. Those who receive it are always pleasantly surprised and treasure it as a precious “family keepsake.”

　　In 1960, while digging for pueraria in their fields, farmers in Ship Chong unearthed an extraordinarily large “King of Pueraria” weighing 25 kilograms, which became known as the “Ship Chong Pueraria King.” Already famous, Ship Chong Pueraria gained even more renown following the discovery of this giant “Pueraria King.”