Pei County Tagan

Pei County Tagan

Pei County Tagan is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Tagan, also known as Pei County Tagan, enjoys widespread fame and is one of the major commodities from Pei County that are sold across the country and to places such as Hong Kong. It is mainly produced in towns like Yitang, Tushan, Balu, and Xinhe. The Tagan from southern Pei County and the lettuce from northern Pei County belong to the same family but are two different varieties. Lettuce has short and thick stems (20–30 cm long), whereas Tagan features long and slender stems (70–110 cm long). According to the *Book of Sui*, lettuce was introduced to Pei County from the ancient Guo Kingdom. The ancient Guo Kingdom refers to the area around the ancient Guo River in today’s Anhui Province. It is said that Tagan from southern Pei County was brought from Bozhou in Anhui during the Ming Dynasty. After their introduction to Pei County, the two types settled respectively in the northern and southern parts of the county. For many years, no Tagan has been produced in northern Pei County—not solely due to cultivation technique issues, but possibly also related to soil conditions.

　　Tagan is divided into two types: purple-stem and green-stem. Purple-stem Tagan contains less moisture, yields lower, and after drying, the green color is slightly darker with less salt bloom. Green-stem Tagan has higher moisture content, produces more, and when dried, presents a bright green color, abundant salt bloom, high sugar content, and is considered the superior variety. The cultivation of Tagan involves relatively difficult horticultural techniques; mishandling can lead to no yield, which is why it has not been widely developed in southern Pei County either. The traditional method of cultivating Tagan is as follows: sow the seeds 5–10 days before or after the Beginning of Autumn, and before sowing, place the seeds in a gauze bag and hang them 30 cm above deep well water for 24 hours to undergo humidity and temperature treatment. Once white sprouts emerge, sow immediately. The seedbed must maintain moisture for seven days for the seedlings to emerge. Plant spacing should be around 20 cm. Base fertilizer should not be chemical fertilizer (otherwise the stalks won’t cut into strips properly); instead, use high-quality manure and wood ash, mainly potassium-based. Field management must be meticulous—timely weeding, watering, and pest prevention are essential. Harvest on August 15th, and all processing must be completed within seven days; otherwise, the stalks will become fibrous and inedible. Harvesting too early results in overly tender stems that can’t be cut into proper strips.

　　When processing Tagan, first remove the leaves, then peel the skin and slice the stems vertically into strips. The cutting knife is fixed on a planing bed, and the stems are moved one by one to be sliced. Each stalk is divided into several sections while the base remains connected to facilitate hanging and drying—an ingenious process. Avoid direct sun exposure, which will bleach the color; instead, dry in a ventilated, shaded area, but not for too long, or the color will turn black. Maintain a bright green color and moderate moisture. After drying, bundle immediately and store in an airtight container. The yield ratio of dried Tagan to fresh Tagan is 1:80. The taste of Tagan varies even within a single plant—the upper tip is sweet, the middle part is mild, and the root is slightly alkaline. The upper tip is considered the best for serving guests. When eating, divide the Tagan into upper, middle, and lower sections, bundle each separately, and soak in 60°C warm water for 20 minutes with the bowl covered tightly. Then remove, rinse off the mucus and bitter juice with clean water, and cut into short strips about 1 cm long. Depending on guests’ taste preferences, add sugar to the upper tip, and salt, ginger, and scallion threads to the middle and lower sections for a crisp and refreshing flavor. Do not add vinegar, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate, fennel, or similar seasonings, as they will diminish the delicate fragrance of Tagan and may even make it bitter. Fresh Tagan has a satisfying crisp sound when bitten and is also known as “Sounding Vegetable.” It can also be braised with meat or stir-fried with eggs, offering a unique flavor.

　　Tagan contains various vitamins, sugars, amino acids, calcium, iron, zinc, carbohydrates, and more. It has health benefits such as strengthening the stomach, promoting diuresis, nourishing the lungs, calming the nerves, clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing fat, aiding weight loss, prolonging life, and fighting cancer.