Rugao Xiangtang Taro

Rugao Xiangtang Taro

Rugao Xiangtang Taro is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Rugao Xiangtang Taro is a specialty of Rugao, Nantong, Jiangsu Province.

　　Rugao Xiangtang Taro has long been considered a traditional local food and is promoted as a representative longevity food of Rugao, earning the favor of people from all over the world.

　　Rugao Xiangtang Taro has a long planting history. It earned the reputation of “Xiangtang” because it fills the air with a rich fragrance while being cooked. The 1750 edition (the 15th year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty) of the Rugao County Annals states: “Fragrant taro is a type distinct from regular taro. It grows in sandy or gravelly soil, with vines that spread endlessly. The tubers grow underground and are best harvested after frost. Roasted or boiled, they are excellent in vegetable dishes, surpassing others in fragrance.”

　　Rugao Xiangtang Taro can be used to prepare a variety of delicious dishes. It boasts a pleasant aroma, delicate taste, soft and smooth texture, and remains tender without falling apart. As both a grain and vegetable crop, and even suitable for fodder, it features in traditional home-style dishes such as taro with meat, taro mash and minced meat mixed with seasonings to make taro balls, taro tofu soup, and taro with hyacinth bean rice. Many urban dwellers who seek a return to simplicity enjoy its pure, natural fragrance through the simplest cooking method—“eating hairy taro”—which involves steaming or boiling the washed taro with its skin on, then peeling and eating it once cooked. Rugao Xiangtang Taro has long been used as a traditional local food for gifts and banquets, and has been promoted by the municipal Party committee and government as a representative longevity food of Rugao, winning the favor of people from all over the world.