Dried Sweet Potatoes from Guangning

Dried Sweet Potatoes from Guangning

　　Guangning has a rich array of local specialties, with dried sweet potatoes being the most favored, loved by both young and old as a go-to snack.

　　Every winter and spring, whenever guests come, Guangning residents always offer dried sweet potatoes as a welcoming treat. It’s easy to see how much these snacks are cherished, and those produced in Tanbu Town are particularly renowned.

　　The people of Tanbu Town in Guangning County have a long-standing tradition of growing sweet potatoes and making dried sweet potatoes. Thanks to the region’s unique geography, climate, and traditional processing methods, Tanbu’s dried sweet potatoes are immensely popular, enjoying considerable fame not just within the county but also in neighboring counties and cities. They are especially adored for their delightful taste—sweet but not cloying, snow-white with a touch of red, soft yet chewy—and their distinctive flavor, reminiscent of a carefully homemade rural delicacy that leaves a lasting impression.

　　The sweet potatoes used to make these dried treats are also known as “yams” or “red potatoes,” and they are the main cash crop of Tanbu Town. In the past, they served as a staple food for farmers alongside rice, but nowadays, with improved living standards, most are fed to pigs, with only a small portion used for making dried sweet potatoes. The town is located in the central-western part of Guangdong Province at an elevation of 900 meters, making it the highest-altitude town among Guangning County’s 17 towns. With an average annual temperature of 20°C–21°C, it is cooler than other areas. Due to its relatively low temperatures and fertile soil, the conditions are ideal for sweet potato cultivation, yielding tubers that are notably larger and sweeter than those from other regions.

　　Currently, the production of dried sweet potatoes in the town is mainly carried out by farming families on a small scale. Each autumn, after the late rice harvest, farmers begin digging up sweet potatoes from their allocated fields and hillsides, harvesting anywhere from a few dan (a traditional unit) to around 2,000 kilograms per household. The freshly dug sweet potatoes are piled up at home and left to air-dry for several days to reduce moisture. They are then washed to remove dirt and sand, boiled in large pots, and left to cool before being cut into strips. These strips are spread out on bamboo mats supported by woven bamboo racks and sun-dried in the autumn breeze. After several days of drying under the sun and exposure to the north wind, the sweet potatoes are stored in jars or on flat surfaces, eventually becoming the much-loved dried sweet potatoes. During this season, nearly every household dries sweet potatoes in front of their homes, creating a unique and picturesque scene. However, since there are currently no specialized dried sweet potato processing enterprises in the town, regional production remains limited, with low processing rates and minimal technological input. There is also a structural gap where production and processing are disconnected from distribution channels, resulting in relatively modest output and sales volumes for the town’s dried sweet potatoes.

　　The development and processing of dried sweet potatoes in Tanbu Town represent a true “virgin territory” waiting to be explored. Additionally, thanks to the town’s beautiful mountains and high-quality water, its locally produced tofu skin (yuba) is also highly reputed for its ability to stay firm even after prolonged cooking. The area is rich in resources, blessed with fertile land and convenient transportation—it is just over 100 kilometers from Guangzhou and only about 24 kilometers from Guangning County’s urban center, all connected by cement or asphalt roads. To encourage foreign investment and support the growth of private enterprises, the town has implemented a series of preferential policies regarding land use, taxation, electricity, documentation, and fees, fostering a business-friendly environment. These incentives aim to attract investors with the greatest possible benefits and top-tier services. Currently, the town urgently seeks outside entrepreneurs to establish factories and develop these natural resources, particularly the dried sweet potato industry. By adopting a “farmer + company” model, the goal is to integrate sweet potato cultivation, dried sweet potato production and processing, and sales. This approach will elevate the quality of the dried sweet potatoes, increase the value-added of the processing industry, boost economic returns, create new opportunities for rural economic development, transform resource advantages into commercial strengths, and help these products reach both domestic and international markets.