Phuc San Taro - Flavor from the land and sky of the Da River reservoir

On the surface, Phuc San taro has nothing special. The tubers are round and plump, with rough, rough skin. If they were just dug up and still covered with dirt, few people would think that it is a famous specialty. But just one taste, the sweet, fatty, and fragrant taste of Phuc San taro will make even the most demanding diners fall in love. It is a unique flavor, imbued with the breath of the soil, of the mountain mist, of the Da River lake in the land now belonging to Tan Mai commune, Phu Tho province.

Phuc San taro is sought after by many consumers.

No one knows exactly when the taro plant took root here. It is only known that for generations, Tan Mai people have been attached to the plant as a part of their lives. In the past, taro was mainly grown for daily use, to make soup or as animal feed. When the crop failed, taro became a source of food to relieve hunger, but its economic value was not high.

In recent years, realizing the potential and commercial value of this plant, the People's Committee of Tan Mai commune has oriented to develop taro into a key specialty product, associated with brand building and creating stable consumption links.

Phuc San taro is famous for its superior quality and high nutritional value. The local variety has been preserved by the people for generations, planted around January to February of the lunar calendar, and harvested in October and November of the solar calendar. The average yield is 60 - 70 tons/ha, and if intensively cultivated well, it can reach 100 tons/ha.

Comrade Bui Ngoc Dai, Chairman of Tan Mai Commune People's Committee shared: Phuc San taro is a native crop. After planting, there is no need to fertilize or use pesticides. People only need to weed periodically, the taro is self-selected after each crop. This traditional method helps the taro retain its very own fragrant, chewy, sweet flavor that cannot be confused with any other type of taro. It can be said that Phuc San taro is the quintessence of heaven and earth and the farming culture of the Thai and Muong people in the Da River reservoir area.

Phuc San taro is a native potato variety selected by local people after each harvest.

Not only is it a rustic dish, Phuc San taro also evokes nostalgia for home in people far from home. Ms. Kha Thi Mich, a Tan Mai native currently living in Hoang Mai ward, Hanoi city, said: Every time I return to my hometown, I try to buy Phuc San taro to bring to Hanoi. That sticky, rich, strange aroma makes my whole family fascinated. My friends in the city also ask me to buy it for them because Phuc San taro has a unique flavor that cannot be described in words, only felt when enjoying it.

Thanks to its natural deliciousness, Phuc San taro is becoming more and more popular. At restaurants, the product is processed, peeled, vacuum-packed from 0.5 to 1kg, then distributed to many provinces.

Ms. Ha Thi De, in Chieng Sai residential group, Mai Chau commune, shares the secret to cooking chewy taro: Every time taro season comes, I buy Phuc San taro to cook bone soup or steam. After peeling, soak the taro in salt water for about 10 minutes to remove the slime. Phuc San taro cooks very quickly, in just 10 minutes you will have a bowl of fragrant, sticky, rich soup.

With its characteristic delicious flavor, Phuc San Taro has become known to many people.

Currently, on the market, Phuc San taro grade 1 costs 45,000 - 50,000 VND/kg; grade 2 from 30,000 - 35,000 VND/kg. In 2020, the product was granted the collective certification trademark "Phuc San Taro" by the Department of Intellectual Property for 10 households to use. Taro is currently grown in San Sop and Not hamlets... ensuring food hygiene and safety, quality and high productivity.

To preserve the product for a long time, people often process, peel, slice and vacuum-seal it, and store it in the freezer.

However, currently, investment in development and expansion of taro growing areas in Tan Mai still faces many difficulties. Production is still fragmented and small-scale, without concentrated specialized areas. The application of technical advances is still limited, leading to unstable productivity. Consumption mainly depends on traders or retail at the market. Prices are therefore also unstable, affecting people's income.

In order to overcome limitations and move towards sustainable development, Tan Mai commune is focusing on building the OCOP product "Phuc San Taro", while supporting people to improve quality, preservation and post-harvest processing.

The commune government coordinated with specialized agencies to organize training on planting, care, harvesting and preservation techniques, and guide farmers to build a production - consumption chain with the aim of not only preserving the brand of local specialties, but also creating jobs, increasing income, and contributing to poverty reduction for people in the Da River reservoir area.

When invested in the right direction, Phuc San taro will not only be a delicious dish reminiscent of the river region, but also become a commodity product with high economic value, helping Tan Mai people firmly step on the path to getting rich from their homeland.

With skillful hands and pride in their hometown products, Tan Mai people are continuing to write the story of Phuc San taro every day - a flavor of heaven and earth, of tradition and of the aspiration to rise up in the vast Da River lake.

Thanh Loan

Tan Mai Commune Public Service Center

Source: https://baophutho.vn/khoai-so-phuc-san-huong-vi-tu-dat-troi-vung-long-ho-song-da-241202.htm