Snow Black Fungus Taro

Snow Black Fungus Taro

　　Taro is a perennial herbaceous plant. Its above-ground petioles are snake-skin colored, with palmate compound leaves and pinnately divided leaflets. The underground stem is spherical, and the tuber resembles taro. It can only be eaten after being ground and processed. Once cooked, it turns black and is commonly known as “black tofu.” Townships such as Emei Jingshui, Eshan, Shuangfu, Puxing, and Chuanzhu all produce it. In the first half of the year on Mount Emei, when vegetables are scarce, major temples stock up on taro as a food source. The creation of Snow Black Fungus Taro was the result of a happy accident. Around the 1930s, the abbot of Qianfo Ding and a monk named Yan Shengwei one day noticed that a block of taro had been frozen for several days and had expanded into a spongy texture. When eaten, it was unusually delicious, so they began experimenting with making it. After many trials, they succeeded in creating the product. Because of its delicious taste and long shelf life, major temples started to make it as well. Later, the production method was refined and improved, and the practice has continued ever since. Snow Black Fungus Taro thus became one of the famous local specialties of Mount Emei. It is characterized by its soft texture, delicious taste upon eating, fragrant aroma without greasiness, and unique flavor. Before eating, it is soaked in warm water until it becomes spongy, then excess water is squeezed out, and it is sliced into thin pieces or strips. It can be served cold with various seasonings, or cooked with meat, chicken, or duck. It is a delicacy for entertaining guests and giving as gifts to friends. Many tourists specifically seek to purchase this product. It is sold as far away as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and in Hong Kong and Macau. In 1984, it won the Sichuan Province Quality Product Award. (Mount Emei)