Tao Shan Sugarcane

Tao Shan Sugarcane

　　Tao Shan Sugarcane is a specialty of Tao Shan Town, Rui’an City, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province. Also known as Tao Shan Sugar Cane or fruit cane, it features thin, crisp skin, juicy and long sections, a sweet taste, and soft, loose fibers. It is one of the finest varieties of fruit cane in Zhejiang Province.

　　Historical records suggest that sugarcane was cultivated in Tao Shan during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, but the cane back then had tough flesh and a bitter taste. Later, Tao Hongjing, a Daoist philosopher and pharmacologist from the Qi and Liang dynasties of the Southern Dynasties who lived in seclusion here, addressed this issue by using dregs from alchemy as fertilizer for farmers. The following year, the harvested sugarcane turned out to have thin, crisp skin and a sweet taste.

　　Tao Shan Sugarcane is a variety of tropical sugarcane with characteristics such as tall plants, thick stalks, well-developed roots, high sugar content, and high yield. The cultivation history of Tao Shan Sugarcane spans nearly a thousand years, and its planting area has continued to expand. Currently, besides Tao Shan, it is also grown in Mayu, Xianjiang, Gaolou, and Huling. In 2012, the total sugarcane cultivation area in Tao Shan reached 3,800 mu, including 2,000 mu of green-skinned and 1,800 mu of red-skinned varieties, mainly distributed along both sides of the Feiyun River and Jinchao Harbor.

　　A sugarcane cooperative has been established in Tao Shan to expand the cultivation area and introduce complete production lines for deep processing. After undergoing automatic cleaning, sterilization, disinfection, and premium packaging, Tao Shan Sugarcane has reached a new level of quality and is now available in major supermarkets.