Chengjiang Lotus Root Starch

Chengjiang Lotus Root Starch

　　Chengjiang lotus root starch is produced in the dam area of Chengjiang County, Yuxi. It contains few impurities, is pure white in color, low in moisture, and rich in vitamin B2 and phosphorus-containing sugar molecules. The reason Chengjiang lotus root starch is famous is mainly because most of the lotus roots here do not form lotus seeds at the top. As a result, the lotus root segments are thick and plump, juicy and tender, with a high starch content. Its nutrients are all concentrated in the starch, so the quality of the starch is higher. Chengjiang lotus root starch is mild in nature and helps with digestion and relieving heat for those with gastrointestinal issues. It is both a health-nourishing food and can be used as a supplementary medicine, making it an ideal gift for patients.

Chengjiang has a mild climate, abundant water resources, and a long history of lotus root cultivation. According to the "Chengjiang Prefecture Records": "Chengjiang is warmer than Yun (i.e., Kunming), slightly colder, extremely hot in midsummer, cools down immediately when it rains, has severe frost and snow in cold weather, but dries quickly once sunny — hence the saying 'spring-like all year round,' and produces rice and lotus roots." A poem praises the lotus flowers south of the city: "Flat fields stretch ten miles long, crimson lotuses sway reflecting lake light. The wind brings the fragrance of blooming lotus, and rain carries the cool shadow of slender bamboo."

Chengjiang lotus roots are popular for their plumpness, rich starch, and strong flavor. Chengjiang lotus root starch, processed from fresh lotus roots, is a traditional and distinctive local delicacy. With its pure texture, crystal-clear transparency after mixing, sweet and fragrant taste, smooth and delicate mouthfeel, and endless aftertaste that leaves one feeling refreshed, it has earned acclaim throughout the province.

Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Chengjiang lotus root starch was processed by individual households and farmers. In the 1930s, Zhao Maotang started professional production and established the "Yongmaoxiang Lotus Root Starch Refined Manufacturing Factory," with the product called "Yongmaoxiang Refined Lotus Root Starch." Thanks to careful ingredient selection, fine processing, and good quality, coupled with promotional slides shown at the "Daye Entertainment" cinema in Kunming, and purchases by teachers and students of Sun Yat-sen University who had relocated to Chengjiang during the Anti-Japanese War to give as gifts to family and friends, its reputation soared. At that time, annual production exceeded 20,000 jin (approx. 10 metric tons), with most of the products sold out of the province via Zhao’s relatives and Huang Peiran, chairman of the "Yunnan Provincial Food Association" during the Republican era, even reaching as far as Hong Kong. Song Haoran from Dasenzhuang in the county later also began professional production and was known as the "Lotus Root Starch King."

After the founding of New China, farmers continued to process lotus root starch as a side business. After collectivization, production was organized collectively, and the products were purchased by supply and marketing cooperatives, with annual production reaching up to 50,000 kilograms at its peak.

To ensure quality, protect consumer interests, uphold and promote the famous traditional food created by predecessors, increase production to meet demand, starting in 1986, the supply and marketing cooperative system began processing on its own. By adopting advanced technology and scientific production processes, it resolved past issues such as wet starch being dried in sunlight, which led to contamination by dust and impurities, and the need for multi-day air-drying in overcast or rainy conditions resulting in poor quality. In 1989, Xianhu Food Factory launched a new product, "Xianhu Brand Travel Lotus Root Starch," which greatly improved purity and offered greater convenience in consumption. Fenglu Supply and Marketing Cooperative’s "Mingzhu Food Factory" inherited traditional processing techniques, placed great emphasis on quality, reformed the sedimentation process, and steadily improved product quality.

"Xianhu Brand" lotus root starch, tested by the Yunnan Provincial Product Quality Inspection Institute, has the distinctive fragrance of lotus root starch after mixing with hot water, with no off-odors, no impurities, and no harmful substances like lead or arsenic. All indicators met requirements. It has successively won the “High-Quality Food” award in the Yuxi region, the “Golden Bell Award” for “High-Quality Products” in the provincial supply and marketing cooperative system, the Bronze Award at the “Forty Years of Chinese Women and Children’s Food Expo,” participated in the exhibition sales at the shopping center of the 10th Asian Games, and also received the “Silver Tianma Award for Travel Products” at the China Tourism Shopping Festival.

Lotus root starch is a premium starch product. The traditional method of consumption is: dissolve a small amount of dry powder in cold water to make a paste, then mix with boiling water to create a transparent, crystal-like cooked food. Add an appropriate amount of sugar before eating. “Xianhu Brand” and “Mingzhu Brand” lotus root starches do not require pre-mixing into a paste or adding sugar — just add the dry powder directly to boiling water for a more convenient eating experience.