Rudong Ranghe, an edible plant in the ginger family, is named a China geographical indication agro-product. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Ranghe, an edible plant species with high medical value grown in Rudong county – administered by Nantong in East China's Jiangsu province – won recognition as an Agro-product Geographical Indications Product from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on June 4, according to local officials.

They said it is the first national honor the county has won for the product.

Ranghe is the species Zingiber mioga, a member of the ginger family. The Compendium of Materia Medica, a classic of Chinese medicine, states that Ranghe has medicinal effects such as promoting blood circulation, relieving cough, reducing sputum, and removing toxicity for detumescence.

The flower buds are finely shredded and can be served cold and dressed with sauce or fried with green soybeans or clams, a popular summer-autumn dish loved by locals.

According to a local official, Ranghe grown in Rudong contains 18 kinds of amino acids and has a delicate taste and delicious flavor. It also has a high amount of organic selenium and anthocyanin with clear effectiveness in fighting cancer and slowing aging.

Rudong is currently home to a 16,500-mu (1,100-hecatre) plantation area for Ranghe with an annual output of 11,000 tons, earning up to 20,000 yuan ($3,130) per mu in profits. The products sell well throughout the Yangtze River Delta and in Japan, according to the head of the Rudong Horticultural Technology Promotion Station.