Fengxian Yam

Fengxian Yam

　　Fengxian Yam is a specialty of Fengxian County, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Known for its large tubers, Fengxian Yam is sold in over 20 major and medium-sized cities across China, holding a domestic market share of up to 60%. It is also exported to Japan and Southeast Asia, accounting for 40% of exports, making it a nationally renowned specialty product.

　　Fengxian is part of the Yellow River alluvial plain, with soil and climate highly suitable for yam growth. The cultivation of yams here has a long history, with main varieties including water yam and Huai (or Huaai) yam. Over years of yam farming, the people of Fengxian have accumulated rich experience and techniques, with particular emphasis on breeding superior varieties. A key breeding effort in the mid-20th century laid a solid foundation for high yam yields.

　　In 1953, villagers Li Quanshun and Li Quanzhong from Jinling Village (now part of Fanlou Town), Jinling Township, Fengxian County, noticed several yams in their fields that did not produce yam beans and had small leaves and thin vines. Assuming these plants were undernourished or otherwise weak, they paid them no mind. But when harvest time came, they found the tubers were unusually large. Intrigued, the family decided to replant them the following year. Once again, the yams grew with small leaves, thin vines, and no beans—but this time, the tubers were thick and long. The Li brothers propagated and promoted these yams, planting more each season. By 1960, the entire village of Jinling was cultivating this type of yam. In 1962, the practice spread to some other villages within the township.

　　In 1965, the yam variety spread from Qige Village, Jinling Township, to Mengji in Pei County, gradually expanding further. It gradually replaced the traditional Huai yam in northern Jiangsu and evolved into a new variety of Huai (Huaai) yam. It has now been introduced to yam-producing regions in Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and beyond.

　　In 1993, Fengxian farmer Li Shanwen invented a yam and burdock ridger (which was granted a national patent), significantly increasing yam cultivation area and leading to the establishment of yam production bases in towns such as Fanlou, Liangzhai, and Wanggou. Today, the county has also introduced high-quality, high-yield new varieties such as Japanese Yamato Long and water yam. The total yam cultivation area in the county exceeds 50,000 mu, with an output of 160,000 tons—of which the Japanese Yamato variety alone covers 10,000 mu and produces 35,000 tons. This makes Fengxian the county with the largest yam planting area in China.