Where is the water caltrop a specialty? An introduction to the latest water caltrop producing areas

The water caltrop is one of the famous specialties of our country, also known as fengling, wuling, water chestnut, etc. It has a cultivation history of more than 3000 years. The fruit has sharp horns and matures around August each year. When young and tender it can be eaten raw as a fruit, and when fully ripe it can be eaten cooked or processed into water caltrop flour. The skin is crisp and the flesh is delicious, with a pleasant taste. Let us take a look below at where the water caltrop is a specialty!

Where is the water caltrop a specialty?

The water caltrop is a specialty of Taihu Lake, the Pearl River Delta, Honghu Lake and other places. The water caltrop is an annual herbaceous aquatic plant of the genus Trapa in the family Trapaceae. It is generally planted in wet muddy soil in temperate climates. In southern China it is cultivated most abundantly in the Taihu Lake area of the lower Yangtze River and the Pearl River Delta. In addition, it is also commonly cultivated in southern Shaanxi, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hunan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Taiwan, China and other places.

When does the water caltrop come on the market?

The water caltrop generally comes on the market from July to September, at a price of about 3 to 5 yuan per jin. The water caltrop begins to grow tender leaves in April in spring, begins to bloom in May, begins to grow tender water caltrops in June, and can mature in July. In August the water caltrops age and fall off, so the water caltrops in July are the crispest, most tender and most delicious. Moreover, fresh water caltrops actually cannot be eaten for very long, lasting at most around ten days or so, and the water caltrops that appear afterward will gradually become older.

What kinds of water caltrop are there?

1. Huntun ling: produced in Jiaxing, Zhejiang and other places, a late-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, harvested from Qiufen to Shuangjiang. High quality and high yield, sweet and glutinous in taste, with a yield of 1000 to 1200 jin per mu. The fruit skin is greenish-white, with 40 to 50 fruits per jin.

2. Shuihong ling: produced in the Suzhou, Hangzhou and Jiaxing area, an early-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, tender water caltrops begin to be harvested at Liqiu, and old water caltrops are harvested at Chushu and Shuangjiang, with a yield of 800 to 1000 jin per mu. The fruit shape is relatively large, with 25 to 35 fruits per jin.

3. Bianfu ling: produced near Nanjing, an early-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, harvested at Chushu and Hanlu. Its growth vigor is relatively weak, the leaf surface is light green, and the underside is reddish-brown. The fruit shape is medium, and the skin color comes in two types, red and green, with about 40 fruits per jin.

4. Nanhu ling: produced in Nanhu, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, an early- and middle-maturing variety, sown at Qingming, harvested from Chushu to Shuangjiang. Good quality, with firm flesh and a somewhat japonica-like texture, greenish-white skin, degenerate four horns, and a medium fruit shape, with about 40 fruits per jin.

5. Shaobo ling: produced in the Lixiahe area of Jiangsu, an early- and middle-maturing variety, harvested from Chushu to Hanlu, with medium yield, greenish-white skin, relatively large shoulder horns, sharp waist horns, and relatively thin skin, with a yield of 500 to 1000 jin per mu and 40 to 50 fruits per jin.

6. Shajiao ling: produced in Wujiang, Wuxian and other places in Jiangsu, a middle-maturing variety, sown at Qingming and Guyu, harvested at Liqiu and Chushu, with a yield of 400 to 600 jin per mu. The fruit shape is small, the skin is greenish-white and thick, and the water caltrop flesh is hard, suitable for cooked eating.