Benshan White Konjac

Benshan White Konjac

Benshan White Konjac is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Benshan White Konjac, produced in Benshan County, Sichuan Province, is a functional food. The area enjoys low sunlight, abundant rainfall, and high humidity. With more than 30 rivers and streams interlacing across the county, along with deep valleys and large vertical elevation differences, it forms a unique Jinsha River valley climate—ideal for growing white konjac. It has been designated as a “Pilot County for Industrialization of White Konjac” and a “Key National Production Base for the Konjac Industry.” Benshan White Konjac is of premium quality, most notably known for its lipid-clearing, blood sugar-lowering, and especially weight-loss benefits.

　　(1) Unique Topography and Landforms

　　Located in southern Sichuan, on the northern bank of the lower Jinsha River, Benshan County sees the Minjiang River flow through its northeastern Xinfaxiang area. Covering an area of 1,531 square kilometers with an average elevation of 650 meters, the terrain slopes from northwest to southeast. The land features overlapping mountains, valleys, deep river gorges, steep slopes, and fragmented landforms, including asymmetrical V-shaped narrow valleys. The region has a continental monsoon humid climate. The foothills of the Lesser Liangshan Mountain Range contribute to four main types of landforms: gently cut monocline low mountains, cuesta hills, moderately cut mid-mountain valleys, and hills. Influenced by the Jinsha River valley climate, the designated planting areas within the county government’s protected zone enjoy frequent fog, a forest coverage rate of 53%, and significant climate differences between mountain tops and bases. Beneath the forests lie layers of fallen leaves, shrubs, and herbaceous plant communities, along with deep, fertile humus soil. This exceptional topography creates a “high mountain fog” environment, enriching the inner content of Benshan White Konjac with high levels of vitamins and alkaloids, ensuring its superior quality.

　　(2) Unique Environmental Climate

　　Benshan County exhibits distinct vertical climate zones in its mountainous regions. The valleys and foothills belong to the subtropical zone, the mid-mountain areas to the warm temperate and mid-temperate zones, and the mountaintops to the subfrigid zone. The average annual temperature in the planting areas is 14.9°C, with an average relative humidity of 70% and annual precipitation of 1,000 mm. Soil moisture retention remains above 30%. The planting zones experience frequent fog and limited sunlight. Abundant water resources, ample rainfall, and the excellent water-retention capacity of the forests naturally regulate the local climate. The air is moist, streams are plentiful, and vegetation thrives. This rainy, foggy, and low-sunlight climate provides Benshan White Konjac with an ideal ecological environment and superior natural conditions, supporting healthy root growth, tuber maturation, and harvest processing.

　　(3) Unique Soil Environment

　　In the mountainous areas of Benshan County between 500 and 1,500 meters in elevation, influenced by abundant rainfall, rich vegetation, and diverse wildlife, large amounts of fallen leaves, animal remains, and excrement accumulate into thick layers of soil. This results in deep, effective soil layers and the formation of mountain yellow soil and some purple soil. These soils are rich in natural organic nutrients and beneficial mineral elements, fully meeting the needs of Benshan White Konjac for mineral elements at different growth stages. This contributes to the konjac’s characteristic richness in multiple vitamins, amino acids, and minerals such as potassium and phosphorus.

　　The main component of konjac is a soluble dietary fiber called glucomannan (KGM), and the amount of KGM is the sole indicator of the konjac’s weight-loss efficacy. Among all konjac varieties, white konjac has the highest KGM content, averaging 59.3%, several times that of ordinary sweet konjac. Additionally, white konjac contains more vitamins, alkaloids, a variety of amino acids in crude protein, and essential trace elements for the human body compared to other konjac types. At the same time, components such as sugar and starch are relatively lower, resulting in the most balanced efficacy ratio among all konjac varieties.

　　The unique valley climate of the Jinsha River basin is ideal for cultivating white konjac. The Benshan White Konjac planting area lies within the Jinsha River basin, and analysis of KGM content over the years shows that Benshan White Konjac averages 67.8% KGM content, making it a premium product among Jinsha River basin white konjac.

　　The production area of Benshan White Konjac includes the following 12 towns and townships under the jurisdiction of Benshan County, Sichuan Province: Jinping Town, Furong Town, Xinshe Town, Zhongdu Town, Longhua Town, Shulou Town, Xin’an Town, Benbian Yi Ethnic Township, Qingping Yi Ethnic Township, Xiaxi Township, Longxi Township, and Taiping Township.

　　“Letter from the People’s Government of Benshan County on Defining the Protection Scope of the Geographical Indication Product Benshan White Konjac,” Benfu Letter [2015] No. 112

　　Sichuan Provincial (Regional) Local Standard: DB511500/T55-2015 “Processing Technical Specifications for the Geographical Indication Product Benshan White Konjac” (Draft)