The 300-mu (20 hectares) water caltrop fields in Suchen town, Hailing district of Taizhou, Jiangsu province, have entered their peak harvest season, with their harvest window stretching all the way to the Double Ninth Festival in mid-October.
Grown in local high-sandy soil with natural high selenium content, the signature water chestnuts here have thin shells, plump flesh and a distinct sweet, refreshing flavor. They can be eaten raw for a crisp, greasy-cutting taste, or cooked through stir-frying and slow-simmering to bring out different layered textures, making them a beloved unique water-town treat across summer and autumn.
Under meticulous, 15-day interval fertilization cycles and combined biological-chemical pest control, the fields deliver a stable yield of 1,100 to 1,250 kilograms per mu (about 0.06 ha). To lock in maximum freshness, 20 veteran harvesters work from 3 am to 11 am daily, gliding through the dense green floating leaves on small boats to pick the tender nuts hidden beneath.
Veteran harvesters glide through the dense green floating leaves on small boats to pick water chestnuts hidden beneath. [Photo/WeChat account: weihailing0523]
A local farmer harvests the season's first batch of selenium-rich water chestnuts in Suchen town, Hailing district. [Photo/WeChat account: weihailing0523]
Priced at 8 to 12 yuan ($1.18-$1.77) per kilogram at wholesale, these water chestnuts are not only sold across local markets, but also shipped to neighboring cities including Yancheng in Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Ma'anshan in Anhui province, bringing this authentic seasonal water-town flavor to a wider regional consumer base.