Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes

Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes

Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes are a product with geographical indication status.

　　 The agricultural specialty products of the Wafangdian area are sweet potatoes and apples. Due to the influence of climate and soil conditions, the sweet potatoes here are spindle-shaped, with red skin and yellow flesh, smooth and even in appearance without bumps, and have a delicate, sweet, and crisp taste.

　　Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes are a product with geographical indication status. Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes are produced in Wafangdian City, Dalian. The geographical indication protection area: east to Ducun Village, Xiyang Township; south to Shinshan, Botun, Xiyang Township; west to the Bohai Bay; north to Binhai Highway, Beihai Village, Xiyang Township. The geographical coordinates are longitude 121°13′–122°16′, latitude 39°20′–40°7′, with a cultivation area of 150,000 mu. In 2013, it was registered as a national agricultural geographical indication by the Ministry of Agriculture, with the certificate held by Wafangdian Hexin Vegetable Professional Cooperative. The cultivation of sweet potatoes in the Wafangdian area has a long history, and Yandian sweet potatoes are the most well-known. Yandian is close to the Bohai Sea and consists mostly of reclaimed coastal land, with most cultivated fields being sandy soil. The area enjoys abundant sunlight and a long frost-free period, making it very suitable for sweet potato growth. Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes are of moderate size, good color, spindle-shaped with red skin and yellow flesh, smooth and even in appearance, with a delicate, sweet, and crisp taste and high starch content. They can be steamed or used as premium raw material for various processed foods, suiting the taste preferences of northern Chinese people. Currently, Wafangdian sweet potatoes, represented by those from Yandian, have achieved scaled production, becoming a leading industry in various towns and townships. The city has hundreds of sweet potato buyers and distributors engaged in year-round transportation and sales. Wafangdian sweet potatoes have become a major supplier to markets in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, and major cities in Xinjiang, with some exported to Russia via border trade through Heilongjiang. Wafangdian City has established a sweet potato research institute to study new cultivation techniques, introduce new varieties, and conduct demonstration planting of virus-free sweet potato seedlings in test tubes. The “Kangshou” brand sweet potatoes from Yandian have now been registered nationally. The city has also built three sweet potato processing plants, processing 3 million kilograms of sweet potatoes annually. Main products include starch, sweet potato noodles, sweet potato sheets, sweet potato snacks, and sweet potato seasonings. Sweet potatoes have become a large-scale industry in Wafangdian City, integrating production, processing, sales, trade, industry, and agriculture.

　　Geographical Area

　　The production area for the agricultural geographical indication product “Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes” is located between longitude 121°13′ and 122°16′, and latitude 39°20′ and 40°7′. It borders Pulandian City to the east, the Bohai Sea to the west, Jinzhou District across the sea to the south, and Gaizhou City to the north. The urban area is 292 km north of Shenyang and 104 km south of Dalian. The total area of the city is 3,829.57 square kilometers, encompassing 9 subdistricts (Wenlan Subdistrict, Gongji Subdistrict, Tiedong Subdistrict, Lingdong Subdistrict, Zhuhua Subdistrict, Gangdian Subdistrict, Taiyang Subdistrict, Jiulong Subdistrict), 11 towns (Fuzhou Town, Songshu Town, Delisi Town, Wanjieling Town, Xutun Town, Yongning Town, Xietun Town, Laohutun Town, Hongyanhe Town, Liguan Town, Xianyüwan Town), 6 townships (Tucheng Township, Yandian Township, Xiyang Township, Paochai Township, Tuoshan Township, Zhaotun Township), 2 ethnic townships (Yangjia Manchu Ethnic Township, Santai Manchu Ethnic Township), and 4 new development areas (Dalian Wafangdian Coastal Economic Zone, Dalian Wafangdian Taipingwan Port Economic Zone, Dalian Wafangdian Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Circular Economy Zone, Dalian Longmen Tourist Resort). According to the “Drawing Standards for Production Area Distribution Maps of Agricultural Geographical Indication Products” and the unique environmental conditions that form the quality of Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes, the most suitable growing area is mainly within longitude 121°13′ to 122°16′ and latitude 39°20′ to 40°7′—specifically, east to Wantun Village, Wanling Town; west to Huangnindong Village, Donggang Town; south to Zhantun Village, Fuzhou Bay; and north to Binhai Highway, Taipingwan. The total area is 3,829.57 square kilometers, of which 2,793.5 square kilometers are used for cultivating Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes. The protected cultivation area is 122,000 mu, with an average yield of 3,000 kg per mu, totaling 366,000 kg.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. Product Quality Features: Due to the unique natural growing conditions in the Wafangdian area—latitude 39°20′ to 40°7′, with high effective accumulated temperature, large diurnal temperature variation, superior sandy loam soil, and moderate annual precipitation—the sweet potatoes enjoy optimal natural conditions for growth. Coupled with pollution-free cultivation standards and scientific field management, Wafangdian sweet potatoes possess distinctive quality traits. Wafangdian Yandian Sweet Potatoes feature the following characteristics: 1.1 Appearance: The tubers are spindle-shaped, weighing 300–800 grams each, up to around 1,000 grams for the largest. They grow in large and even numbers, with 4–6 tubers per plant. The skin is glossy purplish-black and attractive. 1.2 Quality: This variety has significantly higher nutritional content than other tubers. Its levels of lysine, potassium, manganese, and zinc are 5–8 times higher than ordinary sweet potatoes. Especially notable is its iodine and selenium content—anti-cancer substances—which are more than 20 times higher than other sweet potatoes, ranking first among food products. Hence, it is hailed as a “green health food.” 1.3 Taste: The variety has red skin and yellow flesh. When eaten raw, it tastes sweet, crisp, and refreshing; when cooked, it becomes fragrant, sweet, soft, and has excellent color, aroma, and taste. 1.4 This variety excels in quality, color, and vine appearance. It is stable and high-yielding with uniquely superior nutrition. Each kilogram of sweet potato contains 20–23 grams of protein, 290 grams of sugar, 3 grams of fat, 6.8 grams of vitamin A, 80 milligrams of calcium, 200 milligrams of phosphorus, 4 milligrams of iron, 300 grams of vitamin C, 55 milligrams of niacin, 300 milligrams of ascorbic acid, along with abundant carotene and nine types of amino acids. It helps prevent respiratory, digestive, and joint diseases, suppresses cancer, resists fatigue and aging, boosts immunity, and is the best food for maintaining a slim and healthy body. 2. Quality and Safety Regulations: 2.1 Strictly follow non-polluted product production protocols. The use of banned or obsolete pesticides, agricultural inputs, and other prohibited products is not allowed. 2.2 For certified organic sweet potato products, strictly adhere to organic standards during production. 2.3 Sweet potato harvesting should take place under suitable temperature and humidity, and in hygienic conditions. 2.4 Packaging, storage, and transportation must avoid contamination.