Introduction to Chongming Fragrant Taro
Chongming Fragrant Taro is one of the famous specialties in Shanghai. Fragrant taro has the effects of promoting digestion and resolving accumulation, detoxification and nourishing the spleen, clearing heat and stopping coughing.
Fragrant taro, also known as ground chestnut, vegetable Tuluor, or Xiangshen, is a member of the bean family and is a perennial creeping herbaceous plant. Generally, it is cultivated as an annual. The tuber is spherical and looks like a small potato, with a diameter of 2-7.5 centimeters. The skin is yellow-brown and the flesh is white. It is the edible part that people cultivate. Because its flesh is similar to tubers, but its taste is neither yam nor potato, it is similar to chestnut, sweet and fragrant, and has an unforgettable aftertaste, so it is named Fragrant Taro. Fragrant taro tubers come in two types: thick-skinned and thin-skinned. Fragrant taro can be stir-fried, stewed, and braised, and it can be cooked with chicken and pork. Its taste is delicious and not greasy, and it is crispy and not mushy.
Fragrant taro contains more crude protein, starch, polysaccharides (mucopolysaccharides), crude fiber, and sugar. Its protein content is higher than that of other high-protein plants such as soybeans. The flesh of Fragrant taro tuber is delicate and fragrant, often used for banquets, and is generally cooked with fatty chicken to make "Red-Braised Fragrant Taro Chicken" or used as a cold dish base. The polysaccharides in Fragrant taro can enhance the body's immune system and increase resistance to diseases. Long-term consumption can also detoxify and nourish the body.
What is the Nutritional Value of Chongming Fragrant Taro?
Fragrant taro is rich in nutrients and has excellent color, fragrance, and taste. It has been regarded as the king of vegetables. According to measurements, every 100 grams of fresh Fragrant taro contains 5.15 grams of protein, 0.28 grams of fat, 12.71 grams of carbohydrates, 170 milligrams of calcium, and 80 milligrams of phosphorus. Its protein content is 2.1 times that of yam. It has the effects of promoting digestion and resolving accumulation, detoxification, and nourishing the spleen, clearing heat and stopping coughing. Fragrant taro can be cooked by various methods such as stewing, frying, and braising. It can be cooked with chicken and pork. Its taste is delicious, not greasy, and crispy but not mushy. It has always been a must-have premium dish for festivals and celebrations.
What are the Product Characteristics of Chongming Fragrant Taro?
The appearance of Fragrant taro is cylindrical, with a brownish-yellow skin, and a single mother taro can weigh 1000-2500 grams, and the largest can reach 5000 grams. The flesh of the taro has purple-red betel nut-like stripes, with delicate, tender, and fragrant flesh. It has a unique and delicious taste and is rich in starch, protein, and various amino acids.
What is the History of Chongming Fragrant Taro?
It is said that Fragrant taro was introduced to China from America during the Qing Dynasty. The climate and soil in the Haimen and Qidong areas were most suitable for the reproduction and growth of Fragrant taro, which became a local specialty and was used to make delicacies such as Fragrant Taro Braised Bamboo Chicken, Fragrant Taro Braised Tea Dry, and Cold Fragrant Taro Salad. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Shanghai and Jiangsu regions regarded Fragrant taro as a rare and precious item. In 1504, the old archives of Shanghai County in the Ming Dynasty referred to Fragrant Taro as a fruit with a shape similar to potatoes, and with a strong fragrance. Since potatoes were called foreign mountain taro or foreign taro in Shanghai, Fragrant taro was named after it.
