What Varieties of Chinese Yam Are There? A Complete Guide to Chinese Yam Varieties

Chinese yam is a vegetable that many people enjoy eating, with high nutritional value, natural and green, and a unique taste. Although Chinese yam is common in vegetable markets, many people have never grown it. If you want to grow Chinese yam, do you know which varieties are good? Below is an introduction to the common Chinese yam varieties on the market.

1. Tiegun Chinese Yam

Tiegun Chinese yam is one of the many Chinese yam varieties. It has rust-like marks on its surface, which is how it got its name. It is mainly distributed in present-day Wenxian and Qinyang (the ancient Huaiqing Prefecture) in Jiaozuo, Henan, and other places. Due to differences in soil quality, it is divided into two types: loess-soil Tiegun Chinese yam and sandy-soil Tiegun Chinese yam. The Huai Chinese yam produced in the ancient Huaiqing Prefecture has higher medicinal value.

2. Ma Chinese Yam

Ma Chinese yam mostly grows in mountainous areas in cool, shady places. Its tubers are long and cylindrical, growing vertically, and the body can reach more than 1 m in length. When the cut surface is dry, it is white. The stem is usually purplish-red and hairless. It can be used as medicine and is suitable for physical weakness, mental fatigue, poor appetite, indigestion, chronic diarrhea, consumptive cough, nocturnal emission, night sweats, diabetes, and increased nighttime urination, among others.

3. Lingzhi Chinese Yam

Lingzhi Chinese yam is a rare new Chinese yam variety used as both food and medicine. Its shape is like a wine jug, wide at the bottom and narrow at the top, and there are also long rod-shaped or short fan-shaped forms. The outer skin is light yellowish-brown, and there are very few fibrous roots. Regular consumption can strengthen the spleen and stomach, lower blood pressure and blood sugar, fight tumors, and delay aging. It is suitable for processing into Chinese yam puree, Chinese yam powder, and other export products.

4. Yamato Nagaimo Chinese Yam

Yamato Nagaimo Chinese yam is a high-yield Chinese yam variety introduced from Japan. It is planted in relatively large amounts in Peixian, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China. It can be sown in mid-April each year, with a trench spacing of about 100 cm, a trench depth of 130 cm, and a plant spacing of 25 cm. The density is about 3,000 plants per mu, and it can be harvested about 180 days after planting.

5. Water Chinese Yam

Most of what is bought in vegetable markets is water Chinese yam. It is crisp and belongs to the ordinary vegetable Chinese yam category. This crisp, tender Chinese yam is very suitable for stir-frying and is an extremely popular healthy vegetarian dish. Water Chinese yam has a high water content and is very crisp and tender; with a light touch, it may break into two pieces. Its stem is usually purplish-red and contains starch and protein, and it is edible.

6. Xiaobaizui Chinese Yam

Although Xiaobaizui Chinese yam has lower yield, its nutritional value is higher. The skin is relatively white and the flesh is like jade, and it separates easily from the skin. The end of the Chinese yam is like a baby's mouth, and Xiaobaizui brings the advantages of Chinese yam in appearance, taste, and nutrition to the extreme. It is known as the most delicious Chinese yam. Its main production area in China is Hebei.

7. Niutui Chinese Yam

Niutui Chinese yam is named because its underground tuber resembles an ox leg. It is sweet in taste and proper in color, with high nutritional value, and is a premium item among Chinese yam varieties. Its texture is relatively starchy and soft, suitable for steaming, stewing, or making porridge. Its main production area in China is Shandong.

8. Ximao Chinese Yam

Ximao Chinese yam is a traditional Chinese yam cultivar in Jining, Shandong. It is usually propagated by tubers or aerial bulbils. The root of Ximao Chinese yam is cylindrical, with thin skin and fine hairs on the surface. The flesh is fine and white, and it contains mucilage, saponins, choline, urea, arginine, amylase, protein, fat, starch, and iodine. Its physiological characteristics are that it likes warmth and has a relatively long growing period.

Autumn is the season for eating Chinese yam. At this time, Chinese yam from various regions comes onto the market one after another. Because of its high nutritional value and many ways to eat it, Chinese yam is deeply loved by consumers. Now the number of Chinese yam production areas is gradually increasing. When choosing varieties, everyone can select suitable varieties according to local environmental conditions.

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