Zichang Potatoes

Zichang Potatoes

　　The cultivation of Zichang potatoes began in the late Qing Dynasty. Locally, besides being used as a side dish, they were mostly fed to livestock. During the Republican era, people started making potato starch noodles (commonly known as "yangyu starch noodles"), but due to limited production, there was no significant development. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, with strong promotion by the government, potato cultivation became widespread in Zichang. In 1999, a 448.6-square-meter sterile laboratory building was constructed, along with five seed breeding greenhouses and two pillar-less net sheds, establishing a “Potato Virus-Free Elite Seed Breeding Center” for high-quality varieties.

Comparative adaptability trials were conducted on 46 varieties, and those suitable for promotion and cultivation in the county were selected, including Early Great White, Jin Yin 8 (Favorita), Kexin 1, Ten-Thousand-Jin Potato, Northeast White, Shepody, Kexin 2, Xin Ge 6, and Bahu 10. In 2000, 600,000 mu of potatoes were planted, achieving a total potato industry output value of 209 million yuan. Potato starch noodles, vermicelli, and refined potato starch became major export commodities of Yan’an City.

Zichang potatoes feature smooth skin, regular and large shape with uniform size, shallow eyes, fine and dense flesh, and high starch content. They are known for their good taste, strong disease resistance, slow physiological degeneration, and rich nutrition. In April 1995, at the naming ceremony of the first batch of “Hometowns of Chinese Specialties,” jointly organized by the Chinese Association of Agricultural Science Societies, the China Association for Quality Agricultural Products Development and Service, the Development Research Center of the State Council, China Special Products Newspaper, Economic Daily, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Zichang County was named the only “Hometown of Chinese Potatoes.” The “Xiuyan” brand refined potato starch produced by the Zichang County Starch Factory won the gold award at the China New Technology and New Products Trade Fair and the 4th Shaanxi Province Technology Achievement Trade Fair in 1995. (Yan’an)