Where Is Yacon a Specialty? Year-Round Supply and Growing Methods Explained

Yacon, another name for the yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia), its tuberous roots are rich in water and fructooligosaccharides, taste both sweet and crisp, and can also be eaten as a fruit. Deeply loved by people, so where is yacon a specialty? Is it available all year round? How is it grown? Next, let us find out together:

Where is yacon a specialty?

Yacon originates from the Andes Mountains of South America and is a traditional root food of the local Indians. Abroad, yacon is called yacon, meaning “divine fruit”. Yacon is a tropical high-mountain fruit; the tree resembles ramie and can grow to 2-3 m tall. When mature, the top of the branches will successively bloom with five beautiful, delicate sunflowers, which are truly lovely. The flesh, however, tastes much like a pear, juicy and crystal clear, sweet, fragrant and crisp.

Today, yacon is a new type of fruit commonly eaten in winter and spring in Yuxi and other places in central Yunnan. It looks like a sweet potato, is planted in spring and harvested in autumn. The fruit contains 20 kinds of amino acids essential to the human body and rich minerals. Yacon also contains relatively high levels of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, selenium and other trace elements.

Is yacon available all year round?

Yacon is grown in many places in our country. Yacon is planted in spring and begins to mature in late autumn. Freshly matured yacon has a relatively low sugar content and a rather bland taste, so it is not very tasty; therefore, although it can be harvested at this time, it is not yet on the market. Yacon has a post-ripening stage, and after this stage its sugar content is relatively high and it is very sweet, and it begins to be sold. It is not until late October and early November each year that the peak season for eating yacon truly arrives.

How is it grown?

1. Time: Yacon can be sown in spring and autumn; leaf cuttings are best done in autumn;

2. Soil: Yacon can use peat, perlite and pumice mixed at a ratio of 1.5:1:3; it can also be replaced with leaf mold, perlite and coal cinder;

3. Humidity: yacon at a humidity between 12.8% and 54.2%;

4. Temperature: the growing temperature for yacon is 5-25 degrees; when the summer temperature exceeds 25 degrees it begins to go semi-dormant, and when the winter temperature is below 5 degrees it basically goes dormant;

5. Light: yacon is kept in semi-shade in summer, with appropriate shading, using scattered light. In spring, autumn and winter it can have full sun.

The value and benefits of yacon:

Yacon is rich in more than 20 kinds of amino acids needed by the human body as well as various vitamins and minerals, and especially has the highest oligosaccharide content, which can promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms. The fructooligosaccharide content of yacon is 60-70% of its dry matter, the highest content among all plants, and it is also rich in minerals and trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium and selenium.

Tianshan yacon is a wild plant that requires no chemical fertilizers or pesticides and is a purely natural green health food. It has the benefits of cooling and reducing internal heat, and cleansing the blood and detoxifying. Eaten raw, it can remove acne and relieve constipation, reduce inflammation and promote urination, cleanse the liver and detoxify, and beautify the skin. It is suitable for diabetics and those trying to lose weight.