What is a yam? Introduction of common varieties on the market!

Dioscorea zingiberensis, whose scientific name is Dioscorea zingiberensis, is a twining herbaceous vine of the genus Dioscorea in the family Dioscorea. It grows in hillsides, valleys, shrubs or weeds by the side of streams and roadsides, with long cylindrical tubers and usually purplish red stems. So, what is yam? What are the common varieties on the market?

What is Chinese yam?

1. Chinese yam is a kind of vegetable, and its tuber is edible, and it is one of the earliest plants for human consumption. As early as in the poems of du Fu, the poet of the Tang Dynasty, there is a famous sentence of "filling intestines and Dioscorea zingiberensis". The tuber is thick and juicy, sweet and sticky, and raw and hot food is delicious. The tuber contains an average of 14.48% crude protein, 3.48% crude fiber, 43.7% starch, 1.14% sugar, 2.62% potassium, 0.2% phosphorus, 0.2% calcium, 0.14% magnesium and 5.51% ash. There are 16 kinds of yam among the 18 amino acids needed by human beings.

2. Chinese yam is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, which is collected from November to December, cut off the root, wash the soil, scrape off the skin with a bamboo knife, dry or dry it, which can be concocted into light yam, which has the effects of tonifying spleen and stomach, invigorating fluid and lung, tonifying kidney and astringent essence, for symptoms such as spleen deficiency, diarrhea, lung deficiency, wheezing cough, kidney deficiency and spermatorrhea, belt, frequent urination, deficiency heat and thirst and other symptoms.

3. Chinese yam is a widely distributed plant, which is distributed in Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Fujian, Taiwan, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guizhou, northern Yunnan, Sichuan, eastern Gansu and southern Shaanxi. Growing in hillslopes, valleys, shrubs or weeds by streams and roadsides Tuber long cylindrical, vertical growth, up to more than 1 meter long, the cross section is white when dry, the color is usually purplish red.

Second, what are the common varieties of yam on the market?

1. Iron bar yam: it is one of many varieties of yam, which has traces like rust and gets its name for some reason. It is mainly distributed in Wenxian County, Jiaozuo County, Henan Province, Qinyang (ancient Huaiqing House) and other places. Because of the different soil quality, it can be divided into two kinds of yam, namely, iron bar yam and sand iron bar yam. Huai yam produced in Huaiqing mansion since ancient times has higher medicinal value.

2. Ma yam: it grows in shady mountain areas, with long cylindrical tubers growing vertically, more than 1 meter long, white when the cross section is dry, and the stem is usually purplish red and hairless; it can be used as medicine, suitable for physical weakness, mental burnout, loss of appetite, indigestion, chronic diarrhea, fatigue and cough, semen night sweating, diabetes and increased nocturia.

3. Ganoderma lucidum yam: it is a new variety of rare yam for both food and medicine. Qingzhou Economic Development Zone and Changyi City in Shandong Province are the main planting and distribution centers, with a wide and narrow wine pot-shaped shape, long rod-shaped or short fan-shaped. The skin is yellowish brown, the beard root is few, and often eaten can tonify the spleen and stomach, lower blood pressure and blood sugar, anti-tumor, anti-aging, suitable for processing yam mud, yam powder and other exports.

4. Dahe long taro yam: it is a high-yield yam variety introduced from Japan. It is widely planted in Peixian County, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, and can be sown in the middle of April every year. The furrow distance is about 100cm, the furrow depth is 130cm, and the plant spacing is 25cm. The density per mu is about 3000 plants, and it can be harvested about 180 days after planting.