Tanshu Betel-Nut-Flavored Taro

Tanshu Betel-Nut-Flavored Taro

Tanshu Betel-Nut-Flavored Taro is a protected geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Tanshu Betel-Nut-Flavored Taro is a specialty of Tanshu Town in Huadu District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province. The taro is large in size, shaped like an olive pit, rich in starch, and boasts a powdery and fragrant quality that makes dishes highly aromatic when cooked with it. Tanshu Betel-Nut-Flavored Taro has been designated as a nationally protected geographical indication agricultural product.

　　The Tanshu Town Betel-Nut Taro Planting Entrepreneurship Base in Guangzhou City was established on October 14, 2009. The planted Wengang taro is mainly sold to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, and Macau. Wengang taro, which can float in water, is considered premium among taros, known for its powdery texture and fragrant taste. It is highly favored and popular among consumers and has now become a distinctive agricultural product of Huadu, as well as a signature industry that helps local farmers achieve prosperity.

　　The Wengang taro grown in Wengang Village is a variety of betel-nut taro. When cut open, the flesh shows fine reddish veins resembling the patterns of betel nuts—this trait is referred to as "betel-nut taro" in cultivation science. As a perennial, monocotyledonous, herbaceous plant, betel-nut taro is extremely rich in nutrients, containing about 14% protein, 43.9% starch, and 2.4% fat. It can be used as both a vegetable and a staple food, offering high nutritional value, making it a nutritious delicacy for babies and the elderly. Betel-nut taro is also beloved by merchants and the public for its uniquely powdery texture, fragrant flavor, high yield, commercial value, and strong market demand, which are the main reasons for its widespread cultivation. While many regions in China grow betel-nut taro, Wengang taro is renowned both domestically and internationally for its fragrance and softness.

　　The topsoil in Wengang Village is high in phosphorus and potassium, resulting in taro that is large in size, shaped like an olive pit, rich in starch, and has a powdery, fragrant quality, releasing a strong aroma when cooked—hence it is also known as "Betel-Nut Taro." In the 1980s, Wengang taro was already exported to Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, and other places. Now, Wengang taro has become a flagship product of Huadu and a key industry that contributes to local farmers' wealth.

　　In 2013, "Tanshu Betel-Nut-Flavored Taro," applied for by the Tanshu Town Agricultural Technology Extension Station in Huadu District, Guangzhou City, passed the review by the Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and expert evaluation, and was officially registered and protected as a national geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Tanshu Town is located in the southwest of Huadu District, Guangzhou City. It borders Sanshui to the west, Nanhai to the south, Shen Shan Town in Baiyun District to the east, and Chishi Town to the northwest. The geographical coordinates of the Tanshu Betel-Nut Taro protected area are longitude 113°6' to 113°10' and latitude 23°15' to 23°22'. The protected area includes 27 villages under the jurisdiction of Tanshu Town in Huadu District, Guangzhou City: Tanshu Residential Committee, Minzhu Village, Ya Yi Village, Yahu Village, Pinglingtou Village, Shuikou Village, Buyun Village, Shihu Village, Shinan Village, Hongfeng Village, Buxi Village, Da’ao Village, Shegang Village, Huan Shan Village, Chatang Village, Shihu Mountain Village, Dongfeng Village, Xintai Village, Sanlian Village, Langtou Village, Henggang Village, Hualing Village, Cangshuyuan Village, Dawo Village, Luo Village, Tangmei Village, Wen Yi Village, and Wen Er Village. The area spans 1,000 hectares with an annual total output of 30,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: The mother tuber (main taro) of Tanshu Betel-Nut-Flavored Taro is oval-cylindrical, typically 20–32 cm in length and 40–55 cm in diameter. Its skin is thin and brownish-yellow. A single mother tuber weighs between 1.4–5.6 kg and can produce 4–6 small tubers at the base, each weighing 25–125 g. The mother tuber is large and well-shaped, with purple-red betel-nut patterns on the flesh. When cooked, it emits a rich aroma and has a crispy, powdery, tender, and aromatic taste. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Tanshu Betel-Nut-Flavored Taro is highly nutritious, with starch content of 20.7–21.9%, protein content of 1.3–2.1%, reducing sugar content of about 0.6 g/100g, crude fiber content of 0.6–0.7%, calcium content of 7.55–10.85 mg/100g, phosphorus content of 41.5–45.7 mg/100g, and selenium content of 4.5–11.0 × 10⁻⁴ mg/100g. It helps boost qi, nourish kidneys, and strengthen the spleen and stomach. It serves as an excellent ingredient for making snacks and gourmet dishes, as well as a nutritious tonic. (3) Safety Requirements: The production environment must meet the environmental quality standards of NY 5010-2002 “Environmental Conditions for the Production of Pollution-Free Vegetable Agricultural Products.” Product quality complies with the pollution-free food standards for lychee, longan, and rambutan as outlined in the “Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture on Issuing the Inspection Catalogue of 58 Kinds of Pollution-Free Agricultural Products Including Solanaceous Fruits and Vegetables.”