The foreign-introduced yacon and Tianshan snow lotus differ by a single character in name, yet their status is worlds apart

With the development of the global economy, cultural and economic exchanges between countries have increased, and things never seen before have gradually entered people's lives. This is a good thing for people, as they can not only learn about the lives of other peoples around the world but also enrich their own material and cultural life. This is also a good thing for farmers, as many novel species have become their path to wealth. The fruit discussed today comes from South America, has adapted well in China, and is currently widely grown in the southwestern region.

This fruit has a very beautiful name, called Tianshan snow lotus fruit (yacon). In fact, it has no direct connection to the Tianshan snow lotus; the names differ by only one character. Unlike the Tianshan snow lotus, which grows atop the Tianshan Mountains, it is buried deep in the soil. At first glance, this foreign fruit looks somewhat similar to the sweet potato we commonly see, and many people would not recognize it even if they saw it. However, in southern China, yacon can be considered a very popular fruit. In the past, farmers grew yacon because a single planting could produce a whole patch, with very high yields. Back then, yacon could help people fill their stomachs, and it tasted quite good, so yacon has always been favored by farmers.

In rural areas, farmers are not so particular about eating yacon. Sometimes when they are really hungry and thirsty, they just peel it and eat it raw, treating it like a fruit, and it tastes crisp. Although yacon tastes good, some people dare not eat it, because people with poor digestion will get diarrhea if they eat yacon raw. So these people with poor digestion do not dare to eat yacon raw; even if they crave it, they dare not eat it raw. This is because yacon contains an indigestible substance called inulin, and some people get an upset stomach and diarrhea after eating it.

At the end of October to early November each year, which is the season about to arrive now, fresh yacon comes onto the market. At this time, fresh yacon has the most moisture, is very fresh, and its nutritional value is also at its most complete. Friends who love yacon are in luck, as they will soon be able to eat fresh yacon. However, people with a cold stomach and poor digestion should still cook it before eating as much as possible, to avoid endless diarrhea.

Everyone knows that Tianshan snow lotus is a very precious Chinese medicinal herb and extremely rare. Some people who do not know the truth think that Tianshan snow lotus fruit is the fruit of the Tianshan snow lotus. In fact, the two are completely unrelated, and it is unknown who first came up with this name, which is quite misleading. By the way, in the Sichuan Basin of China, this yacon is called "wangentiao", and its status is not even as good as that of sweet potato, which shows that the moon abroad is not necessarily rounder!