Nutritious wild fruit finds home in Liantang Town
Known as three-leaf akebia, the fruit is a healthy source of vitamins.
A POPULAR wild fruit, akebia trifoliata, or commonly known as three-leaf akebia, has been growing bountifully in Liantang Town, Qingpu District.
The plant mostly grows in China's central and southwestern provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Jiangxi and Hunan. It is a wild vine of the Akebiaceae family, grows well in the sun, and prefers fertile soil.
The fruit is shaped like an olive and usually ripens in August, with its peel turning purple from green, according to Li Jie, an orchard operation manager in Maodian Village, Liantang Town.
If you gently break the peel, its milky white pulp, just like banana, will show up. After you take a bite, its sweet and soft taste fills the mouth with special flavors.
"It tastes sweet, soft and delicious," Li said. "And the fruit is rich in vitamins and amino acids; its seeds can be used for producing oil; its peel can be made into tea or dishes; also, its roots can be used as medicine."
The town has spared no effort to achieve the goal, including inviting agricultural experts to guide the work and trying various ways to provide a suitable environment for its growth.
