Jijin Black Fat Choy

Jijin Black Fat Choy

　　Ningxia specialty—Jijin Black Fat Choy—is a distinctive regional product of Ningxia. It is a type of algae that earned its name due to its dried appearance and color, which closely resemble women’s hair. It features a jet-black color, long and supple strands, and excellent quality. Ningxia is not only a major production area for fat choy but also the primary trading hub, handling over 80% of the national annual output. With a protein content exceeding 20%, fat choy has higher protein levels than meat, milk, and eggs. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, fat, carbohydrates, and various vitamins, making it a premium food. Alongside sea cucumber, fish maw, bird’s nest, squid, monkey head mushroom, shark fin, and bear paw, it is known as one of the “Eight Delicacies.”

　　 Specialty Identification:

　　 ① Color: Genuine fat choy is grayish-black; fake fat choy appears jet-black, dark brown, or greenish-brown.

　　 ② Shape: Genuine fat choy consists of fine, uniform, cylindrical filamentous strands coated in transparent gelatin; fake fat choy usually lacks transparent gelatin, and even if it appears filamentous or has some gelatin, it may be branched, thicker at the bottom and thinner at the top.

　　 ③ Texture: Genuine fat choy feels soft when pinched between fingers and is not easily broken; whereas some fake fat choy is brittle and breaks easily.

　　 ④ Soaking: Genuine fat choy sinks quickly in water and turns light yellow after soaking; fake fat choy sinks more slowly, and the soaking liquid may turn bluish-black.

　　 ⑤ Taste: Genuine fat choy has a fragrant aroma and a crisp texture; fake fat choy lacks the distinct scent of real fat choy.

　　 Specialty Benefits: Fat choy has high medicinal value. It is neutral in nature and mildly sweet in flavor, offering effects such as calming the liver and subduing yang, as well as clearing the intestines and relieving dysentery. It can help clear heat and toxins, resolve phlegm and relieve cough, cool blood and improve vision, as well as promote bowel movements and diuresis. It is used to treat various ailments including rickets, dysentery, hypertension, bronchitis, nosebleeds, and malnutrition.