Muchuan White Ginger

Muchuan White Ginger

　　China has many varieties of ginger, with some of the more well-known being: white ginger from Dandong in the northeast, sliced ginger from Laiwu in Shandong, white ginger from Tongling in Anhui, yellow laomen ginger from Jiangxi, red claw ginger and yellow claw ginger from Jiaxing in Zhejiang, Laifeng ginger from Hubei, Chaling wilted ginger from Hunan, Yuxi yellow ginger from Yunnan, Xilin ginger from Guangxi, Shulun large flesh ginger from Guangdong, and Hanzhong jiao ginger from Shaanxi. It is worth mentioning that Muchuan White Ginger, produced in the Muchuan area of Leshan, is known for its plump, thick fresh rhizomes with tender, white flesh. Its dried ginger is firm, full-bodied, starchy, white in color, with fine fibers, a spicy and aromatic taste, and a strong flavor. Renowned as “white-skinned, powdery-mouth” Sichuan ginger, it enjoys high prestige.

The cultivation of white ginger in Muchuan boasts a long history of over 1,700 years. Historical records indicate that during the Ming Dynasty, the eminent pharmacologist Li Shizhen personally visited Guobeiyan at Jianbanchang (now Anle Village, Jianban Town, Muchuan County) to study white ginger, and included it in his classic work Compendium of Materia Medica. Muchuan White Ginger is known for its attractive appearance, superior quality, and excellent functionality. The product is sold to over 300 pharmaceutical institutions nationwide and exported to more than ten countries and regions in Africa, West Asia, and Southeast Asia.

Experiments have shown that filtrates of Muchuan White Ginger can effectively inhibit Staphylococcus and Salmonella, and also have significant inhibitory effects on Trichomonas vaginalis and skin fungi. White ginger is also used as an anticoagulant to prevent blood clotting. A doctor from Cornell University in the United States found that his blood did not clot as easily as usual, and upon investigation, discovered it was due to his consumption of a large amount of ginger jam. Dr. Dolso believes this is because ginger contains a component whose chemical structure is similar to salicylic acid, which helps prevent or reduce blood coagulation. Recent reports have also indicated that ginger can regulate human prostate levels.

In 2001, Muchuan County planted 19,520 mu of white ginger, with an estimated yield of 40,000 tons of fresh ginger. At the same time, Muchuan was designated by the municipal government as the white ginger base of the Leshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Demonstration Zone and applied for provincial-level base status. Muchuan plans to establish a 30,000-mu standardized, high-quality, pollution-free white ginger planting science and technology demonstration base within five years (from 2000 to 2004).