Where are the main konjac producing areas? A look at the latest distribution of producing regions

Konjac, also known as konnyaku, moyu, and ruotou, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Amorphophallus in the Araceae family. It has been identified by the United Nations health organization as one of the top ten health foods. It is mainly distributed in Southeast Asia, Africa and other places. China began cultivating konjac as early as more than two thousand years ago, and its history of consumption is also quite long. Now let us take a look at where konjac producing areas are!

Where are konjac producing areas?

Konjac has a large family, with about nearly 130 varieties worldwide, and China alone has more than 30 kinds, of which 8 are unique to China. At present, konjac food consumption is relatively large in Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangdong, Fujian and other places in China. In terms of output and scale, konjac is mainly concentrated in China, Japan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries. In China, it is cultivated more in Yunnan and Sichuan provinces and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. After the weight-loss and fitness benefits of konjac became widely known, it gained an even higher status in the minds of consumers in Jiangsu, Beijing, Shanghai and other places, so consumption is also on the rise.

The cultivation history of konjac

China began cultivating konjac as early as more than two thousand years ago, and its history of consumption is also quite long. According to legend, long ago, Taoist priests on Mount Emei in Sichuan used starch from konjac tubers to produce snow konjac tofu, which was brownish-yellow in color, shaped much like porous sponge, delicious in taste, and full of flavor, making it a treasure of Mount Emei. Later, konjac spread from China to Japan, where it became deeply loved by Japanese people, and almost every household ate it at every meal. Even now it is still the most popular elegant food among the Japanese people. Japan has more than 1,500 years of cultivation and consumption history and more than 100 years of konjac refined powder processing history, while although China has more than 2,000 years of folk cultivation history, true konjac refined powder processing only began in the mid-1980s.

Distribution of konjac producing areas

1. Badong konjac: Badong konjac is a specialty of Badong County, Enshi Prefecture, Hubei Province. The soil and climate of Badong County are especially suitable for growing konjac, and the konjac grown there is good in 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” and belongs to the core area of the konjac sector base in northwestern Hubei, with a base 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 konjac growth, and konjac has been grown there 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 konjac production and cultivation, and konjac cultivation has become another distinctive 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 by the United Nations health organization as one of the top ten health foods. It is a superior food that both satisfies the palate and helps treat illness and strengthen the body.

6. Suijiang konjac: Suijiang konjac is a specialty of Suijiang County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. Suijiang has a long history of konjac cultivation. Farmers in the mid-mountain and high-cold mountain areas are experienced in growing konjac, and most of the cultivated land in Suijiang is suitable for growing 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 konjac refined powder produced and processed from it is good in quality, white in color, strong in viscosity, delicious, high in powder yield, high in expansion coefficient, and rich in glucomannan.

8. Jinjiang white konjac: Jinjiang white konjac is a specialty of Yongshan County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province. Yongshan County already had records of konjac cultivation in the Ming Dynasty. White konjac is the main konjac variety planted in Yongshan County, with excellent quality. The processed konjac slices are white, thoroughly dried, plump, full of starchy matter, and tightly structured, meeting the national special-grade standard.

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

10. Mount Emei snow konjac: Mount Emei snow konjac is a specialty of Emeishan City, Leshan City, Sichuan Province. Mount Emei snow konjac has the characteristics of a soft texture, fresh taste, fragrant but not greasy, and a unique flavor. It has become a famous food of Mount Emei and enjoys a very high reputation at home and abroad. Mount Emei snow konjac has obtained protected geographical indication product status.

11. Fuyuan konjac: Fuyuan konjac is a specialty of Fuyuan County, Qujing City, Yunnan Province. Fuyuan County has been rated as a national key konjac cultivation base county. Laochang Township and Fucun Town have successively been honored by the China Konjac Association as the “First Township for Konjac Seed Tubers” and the “First Town for Konjac in China”. Fuyuan konjac has obtained a national geographical indication certification trademark.

12. Pengshui konjac: Pengshui konjac is a specialty of Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing. The soil and climate of Pengshui are especially suitable for growing konjac, and the konjac grown there is good in quality and large in size, looking like a small pumpkin covered in mud. Pengshui konjac has obtained a national geographical 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 advantages for konjac growth. Beichuan konjac is especially excellent in appearance quality, with white color and uniform sparkling granules, and its crystal brightness under microscopic examination is especially prominent. Beichuan flower konjac is a protected geographical indication product.

14. Jinyang white konjac: Jinyang white konjac is a specialty of Jinyang County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Among the many konjac varieties across the country, Jinyang white konjac has become a unique distinctive resource of China and even the world because of its excellent quality, rich nutrition and wide uses. Jinyang has been recognized as the origin place of white konjac, a geographical indication protection county, a “national key konjac cultivation base county”, and a “hometown of white konjac specialty in Sichuan Province”.

15. Wushan konjac: Wushan konjac is a specialty of Wushan County, Chongqing. Wushan has a long history of konjac cultivation. Wushan konjac not only has a large planting area and high yield, but is also excellent in quality. Wushan konjac has remarkable benefits for beauty and skincare, longevity, and preventing carbuncles and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. After processing, it is delicious in taste, suitable for numbing, spicy and fragrant flavors.

16. Anxian konjac: Anxian konjac is a specialty of Anxian County, Mianyang City, Sichuan Province. Anxian has historically been rich in konjac, and the development of the konjac industry has uniquely favorable advantages. It is a nationally known main konjac producing area, the country's largest distribution center for konjac rough processing and konjac refined powder, and one of the country's eight “key konjac cultivation base counties”. Anxian has been 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 country's 14 konjac base cultivation counties. Langao konjac has been listed as a protected geographical indication product of China. Langao County has successively been awarded the titles of “National Key Konjac Base County” and “National Key Konjac Processing County” by the China Konjac Association, and has won certification from the Ministry of Agriculture as a pollution-free production base.