Nalou Chinese Yam

Nalou Chinese Yam

Nalou Chinese Yam is a product with geographical indication.

　　Chinese yam, also known as Dioscorea opposita, is a highly nutritious food that serves both culinary and medicinal purposes, often referred to as the "ginseng of the south." According to Compendium of Materia Medica, Chinese yam has the effects of "nourishing yin energy, benefiting the spleen and lungs, consolidating kidney essence, strengthening the spleen and stomach, stopping diarrhea, resolving phlegm, and moisturizing the skin and hair." It has high medicinal value, helping to lower blood pressure and blood sugar, resist tumors, and delay aging. Regular consumption can enhance the body’s immune function.

　　Chinese yam is an important cash crop in Nalou Town, Yongning District, which is renowned as the "Hometown of Chinese Yam." Fresh Nalou yams account for half of the yam supply in Nanning City. The perennial planting area is around 22,000 mu (approximately 1,467 hectares), with an annual yield of about 55,000 tons. Fresh yams are typically harvested and marketed from January to May each year. Thanks to Nalou Town’s unique yam varieties and its yellow clay soil, the yams produced here are fragrant, powdery, and glutinous—offering a fresh, crisp taste, thin skin, tender white flesh, and high starch content, making them ideal for fresh consumption or processing. The starch content of Nalou Chinese Yam reaches 22–28%, compared to about 16% in yams from other regions, making it very popular among consumers. Nalou Chinese Yam is a renowned agricultural specialty of Guangxi, sold across the region and exported to Southeast Asia, Japan, and the United States. The "Nanning Nalou Chinese Yam Industrialization Cooperative" processes 225 tons of fresh yams annually, producing 55 tons of yam wine, 1.2 tons of dried yam slices, 2.6 tons of freshly pressed yam rice noodles, and 0.8 tons of instant yam powder. Processed yam products are sold in Nanning, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jiangsu Province, and beyond.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected production area of Nalou Chinese Yam includes four towns (or townships) — Nalou Town, Xinjiang Town, Baiji Town, and Zhonghe Township — encompassing 28 villages (communities). It spans from Zhonghe Community in the east to Xinjiang Community in the west, from Tangli Village in the south to Luoma Village in the north. The geographical coordinates of the protected area are between 108°25′ to 108°51′ east longitude and 22°23′ to 22°45′ north latitude, with a suitable planting area of 1,400 hectares and an annual total yield of 55,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Nalou Chinese Yam has a long, cylindrical tuber shape with a flesh-colored skin scattered with small purplish-red circular spots. The skin is thin and has few rootlets. The cut surface shows abundant milky-white mucilage, while the flesh is white, fine, and tender, with a powdery, glutinous texture and a fragrant, crisp taste. 2. Internal Quality: According to tests conducted by the Subtropical Fruit and Vegetable Quality Supervision and Testing Center of the Ministry of Agriculture: Nalou Chinese Yam has moisture content ≤73.3%; ash content ≥1.1%; protein content ≥2.90g/100g; starch content ≥22.6g/100g; zinc content ≥1.5mg/kg; iron content ≥0.46mg/100g; potassium content ≥410mg/100g; selenium content ≥0.00358mg/kg; and amino acid content ≥1.99%. 3. Safety Requirements: Product quality must comply with the "Pollution-Free Food Tuber and Rhizome Vegetables" (NY5221-2005) standard. The use of unregistered or nationally banned agricultural inputs is prohibited. Standardized production practices are implemented to ensure the quality and safety of Nalou Chinese Yam.