Best Chinese Tuber Types
Native to China, yamaimo or Chinese yam is a climbing plant that bears edible tuberous roots with hard white flesh that is encased in a thin, light brown or yellowish outer skin. The tuberous roots are similar in flavor to potatoes or water chestnuts and are widely used as traditional medicine and an ingredient in Asian cuisine.
Raw or cooked, Chinese yam is typically consumed on its own, added to soups, stews, and many other dishes for extra flavor and texture. This plant is cultivated throughout East Asia, including Japan, Korea, Kuril Islands, and Vietnam, and may vary in shape and color.
Konjac is the widely used root, or a tuber, produced by the konjac plant, a crop native to China that is also very popular in Japan, where it has been cultivated since the 6th century. The root has an oval shape and is especially praised for its numerous beneficial properties.
It is rich in glucomannan sugar, a fiber widely used in powdered form that is incorporated in many traditional and modern remedies. In gastronomy, it is often used as flour that easily swells in liquid, so it is mainly employed as a thickening agent in dishes to give them a denser, jelly-like consistency.
Lixian Ma Shan Yao are yam tubers, dried yam strips and chips of the "Dioscorea batatas Decne" species, produced in the Li County region, Hebei Province in China. Yams are cultivated in a traditional manner and techniques, where the sandy and loamy soil favourably influence the growing process.
Dried yam strips are made from fresh yams that are peeled, sliced and then air-dried or dehydrated in a special dryer, developing a crisp taste and a uniform size. Fresh yams come in three varieties - Bangyao, Ziyao and Xiaobaizui, variable in length and taste.
Droma (lat. Dioscorea opposita or Dioscorea batatas) refers to the Tibetan yam, a type of tuber that is particularly valued in Tibetan cuisine and traditional medicine.
It is known for its sweet taste and its nutritional benefits. Droma is believed to have health-promoting properties, including aiding digestion, improving vitality, and being beneficial for the kidney and spleen, according to Tibetan medicine. It is often used in various dishes, including traditional Tibetan soups and stews.
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