Where is the origin of konjac?

Konjac, also known as Amorphophallus, Amorphophallus, etc., is a perennial herb of the Araceae family, and has been identified by the United Nations Health Organization as one of the top ten health foods, mainly distributed in Southeast Asia, Africa and other places. China began to cultivate konjac more than two thousand years ago, and its edible history is also quite long. Let's take a look at where the konjac is produced.

Where is the origin of konjac?

Amorphophallus has a large family, there are about 130 varieties in the world, but there are more than 30 species in China, 8 of which are endemic to China. At present, there is a large consumption of konjac food in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujian and other places in China. In terms of output and scale, konjac is mainly distributed in China, Japan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries. In China, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are more cultivated. After the weight loss and fitness effect of konjac was widely announced, it has a high status in the hearts of consumers in Jiangsu, Beijing, Shanghai and other places, so consumption is also on the rise.

Cultivation history of konjac

China began to cultivate konjac more than two thousand years ago, and its edible history is also quite long. It is said that a long time ago, Taoist monks in Emei Mountain, Sichuan Province, used konjac tuber starch to produce snow konjac tofu, brown in color, similar to porous sponge in shape, delicious and rich in flavor, and was a treasure of Emei Mountain. Later, konjac spread from China to Japan, deeply loved by the Japanese, almost every meal must eat, until now is still the most popular Japanese folk elegant food. Japan has more than 1500 years of history of planting and eating, and more than 100 years of konjac flour processing, while China has a folk planting history of more than 2000 years, but the real konjac flour processing only began in the mid-1980s.

Distribution of producing area of Amorphophallus

1. Badang Konjac: Badang Konjac is a specialty of Badong County, Enshi Prefecture, Hubei Province. The soil and climate of Badong County are particularly suitable for growing konjac. The konjac planted is of good quality and large in size.

2. Zhuxi konjac: Zhuxi konjac is a specialty of Zhuxi County, Shiyan City, Hubei Province. Zhuxi County is the "hometown of Konjac in China", which is the core area of the Konjac plate base in northwest Hubei, with an area of more than 80,000 mu.

3. Daguan konjac: Daguan konjac is a specialty of Daguan County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. The natural environment of Daguan County is suitable for the growth of konjac, and it has been planted for many years.

4. Zhenxiong Konjac: Zhenxiong Konjac is a specialty of Zhenxiong County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. The climate and soil of Zhenxiong County are suitable for the production and cultivation of konjac, and the cultivation of konjac has become another characteristic economic pillar industry of the county.

5. Fuquan konjac: Fuquan konjac is a specialty of Fuquan City, Qiannan Prefecture, Guizhou Province. Konjac has been identified as one of the top ten health foods by the United Nations Health Organization. It is a kind of high-quality food that not only fulfills the mouth, but also treats the disease and keeps fit.

6. Suijiang konjac: Suijiang konjac is a specialty of Suijiang County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. Suijiang has a long history of planting konjac. Farmers in the Erban Mountains and alpine mountainous areas have rich experience in planting konjac. Most of the cultivated land in Suijiang is suitable for planting konjac.

7. Tongjiang snow konjac: Tongjiang snow konjac is a specialty of Tongjiang County, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province. Tongjiang snow konjac is a natural green food. The refined konjac flour produced by Tongjiang snow konjac flour has good quality, white color, strong stickiness, delicious taste, high flour yield, high coefficient of expansion and rich in glucomannan.

8. Jinjiang White Konjac: Jinjiang White Konjac is a specialty of Yongshan County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. Yongshan County has records of planting konjac in the Ming Dynasty. White konjac is the main variety of konjac in Yongshan county, with good quality, and the processed taro role is white, dry, strong, full of pulp and tight organizational structure, in line with the national special standard.

9. Leishan konjac: Leishan konjac is a specialty of Leishan County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province. The konjac planted in Leishan County is processed into konjac flour and sold to Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi and other places. Konjac seeds are sold to Chongqing outside the province, Duyun, Huangping, Sansui, Liping and other counties, and the seeds are in short supply.

10. Emeishan snow konjac: Emei snow konjac is a specialty of Emeishan City, Leshan City, Sichuan Province. Emei Mountain snow konjac has the characteristics of soft texture, fresh taste, fragrant but not greasy, unique flavor and so on. It has become a famous food in Emei Mountain and enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad. Emei Mountain snow konjac is protected by geographical indications.

11. Fuyuan konjac: Fuyuan konjac is a specialty of Fuyuan County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province. Fuyuan County was named as the national key konjac planting base county  Laochang Township and Fucun Town were successively praised as "the first Konjac Township" and "the first Konjac Town in China" by the China Konjac Association. Fuyuan Konjac won the certification trademark of National Geographic indication.

12. Pengshui konjac: Pengshui konjac is a specialty of Miao Tujia Autonomous County in Pengshui, Chongqing. Pengshui's soil and climate are particularly suitable for growing konjac. The konjac is of good quality and large, and looks like a small pumpkin covered with mud. Pengshui Konjac won the National Geographic indication certification trademark.

13. Beichuan flower konjac: Beichuan flower konjac is a specialty of Beichuan County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province. Because of its special regional characteristics, Beichuan County has the best ecological resource advantage for the growth of konjac. The appearance quality of Beichuan konjac is particularly good, the color white particles are uniform and translucent, and the crystal brightness is particularly prominent under microscopic examination. Beichuan flower konjac is a geographical indication protection product.

14. Jinyang White Konjac: Jinyang White Konjac is a specialty of Jinyang County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Among the many varieties of konjac in China, Jinyang white konjac has become a unique characteristic resource in China and even in the world because of its excellent quality, rich nutrition and wide range of uses. Jinyang is recognized as the origin of white konjac, geographical indication protection county, "national key konjac planting base county", "hometown of white konjac specialty in Sichuan province".

15. Wushan konjac: Wushan konjac is a specialty of Wushan County, Chongqing. Wushan konjac cultivation has a long history, Wushan konjac not only has a large planting area, high yield, but also excellent quality. Wushan konjac has the magical effect of beauty, prolonging life and preventing carbuncle cardio-cerebrovascular disease. After processing, it tastes delicious, suitable for hemp, spicy and fragrant.

16. Anxian Konjac: Anxian Konjac is a specialty of Anxian County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province. Anxian County is rich in konjac in history, and the development of konjac industry has unique advantages. it is a well-known main producing area of konjac, the largest konjac rough processing and konjac flour distribution center, and one of the eight key counties of konjac planting base in China. Anxian County was rated as "the hometown of Konjac in China".

17. Langao konjac: Langao konjac is a specialty of Langao County, Ankang City, Shaanxi Province. Langao is one of the 14 konjac base planting counties in the country. Langao Konjac is listed as China's geographical indication protection products. Langao County has been awarded "National Konjac Base key County" and "National Konjac processing key County" by the China Konjac Association. It has won the certification of pollution-free production base of the State Ministry of Agriculture.