Luxi Yellow Cattle is one of China’s five famous indigenous premium cattle breeds and is classified as a dual-purpose breed for both draft work and meat production. Caoxian is a major production area for Luxi Yellow Cattle, with a long development history. In the 1930s, the annual herd size reached 80,000, with 4,000 cattle exported, mainly to Japan and Southeast Asia. In the 1970s, Premier Zhou Enlai gifted two...
Before the 1960s, the area around Mazhuang in Guyingji, Cao County, had a tradition of growing osier willow, but the planted area was small. In the 1970s, towns such as Guyingji, Puliianji, Shenzhongji, and Niji became the main production areas for osier willow. It was mainly planted along rivers, ditches, roads, and canals. Starting in 1986, the willow weaving industry developed rapidly…
Caozhou Sesame Candy is made using traditional production techniques, with sesame, millet, and wheat as the main ingredients. It boasts a unique flavor that is sweet, fragrant, crispy, and delicious. Available in stick and flat shapes, the candy features a milky white color, a shiny and translucent appearance, and offers a rich taste that is both pure and satisfying. It is highly nutritious and also helps soothe the stomach, regulate qi, relieve coughs, and treat constipation. With a history of over 20…
Shajia Mongolian Yurt Whole Roast Lamb is a specialty of Cao County, Heze City, Shandong Province. The whole roast lamb from Shajia Mongolian Yurt in Cao County boasts delicious flavors, nourishing health benefits, premium ingredients, and an unforgettable aftertaste. It has been recognized by the China Food Culture Research Association and the International Kite Federation as a distinctive premium product of Chinese food culture. The Shajia Mongolian Yurt Whole Roast Lamb, a renowned halal delicacy from Cao County, Shandong Province...
Caoxian Sesame Seed Cake is a specialty of Cao County in Heze City, Shandong Province. When baked, the surface of the cake turns yellow with a red tint. When lifted by hand, the bottom, top, and filling layers separate distinctly, releasing an inviting aroma. One bite guarantees a crispy exterior and tender interior, neither hard nor sticky—suitable for all ages. Caoxian Sesame Seed Cake has a long history and is one of the beloved traditional Han Chinese snacks enjoyed by people of all ages in Heze, Shandong...
Spicy Pork Knuckle from Cao County is a specialty dish from Cao County, Heze City, Shandong Province. The preparation of this dish is complex, using selected front and hind pork knuckles from quality hogs. It undergoes processes such as marinating, binding, and boiling, and is made with a variety of ingredients to achieve a perfect balance of color, aroma, and flavor. The taste is tender, fragrant, and not greasy—making it a truly rare and delicious delicacy. Spicy Pork Knuckle from Cao County was introduced in the 1990s...
【Wangluji White Lotus Root】 The white lotus root from Wangluji in Cao County has a cultivation history of over 2,000 years. Legend has it that during the Spring and Autumn Period, a princess of the State of Lu, after marrying into the State of Song, often missed her homeland and fell into deep melancholy. To ease her homesickness, the State of Song built a high platform at the border between Lu and Song, allowing the princess to climb up and gaze toward her native land. Later, when the princess returned to Lu...
Qingguji Town in Cao County, Shandong Province, is located at the border between Shandong and Henan provinces. It sits at the junction of four counties: Cao County, Chengwu, Shanxian, and Shangqiu. National Highway 105, Dezhou–Shangqiu Road, and Provincial Highway 350 all run through the town. The town has 86 administrative villages, 209 natural villages, a population of over 100,000, and 120,000 mu of arable land, covering an area of 146 square…
Cao County is a major production base and processing/export hub for high-quality asparagus in China. Currently, the county has 200,000 mu of asparagus planting area, yielding 180,000 tons of premium asparagus annually, accounting for one-sixth of the national asparagus cultivation area. The main varieties include Uc800, Uc157, Asparagus Prince, Champion, and Shuofeng. Its high-quality asparagus is...
The papaya belongs to the Rosaceae family, genus Chaenomeles, and is a deciduous small tree. It has a history of over 500 years in Heze and is a traditionally cultivated species in the area. Heze was historically known as Caozhou, hence the papaya is also called Caozhou Papaya or Caozhou Glossy Papaya. To this day, more than 30 papaya trees planted during the Ming Dynasty still remain in Luguidui Village, Mudan Subdistrict Office. In addition, the regional agricultural research institute also...
Before liberation, there were already households processing roast chicken in Dongmingji. After the 1980s, the number of such households gradually increased, with some well-known ones including the Li, Zhou, and Hu families. The production process involves selecting free-range chicken, plucking and cleaning it, frying it in oil to a certain degree, then simmering it in a prepared broth with over ten seasonings mixed according to a specific recipe…
The production of Ancient Camp fireworks began in the 1930s. At that time, people used crude saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal to process gunpowder for making firecrackers. The varieties included ground flowers, curved bulls, and heaven-earth cannons. By the 1960s, the production had largely taken shape, and the variety of products also increased. Ma Chaozhong, an experienced fireworks craftsman from Mazhuang Village in Guying Township, led members of the production team...
Produced in Sunjiayuan Village, Sunjiayuan Town, these dumplings have nearly two hundred years of production history. Two families, surnamed Niu and Ma, have passed down the recipe through generations, and both are renowned for the unique flavor of their mung bean dumplings. Later, Sun Zhongyi, while engaged in the production and sale of peanuts, also started making mung bean dumplings. In 2005, Sun Zhongyi registered the “Sun Zhongyi” brand of green...
Production History Hanji Sesame Candy has a long production history, with meticulous craftsmanship, sweet and crispy texture, and a unique flavor. It is a renowned traditional confectionery delicacy from Cao County. Among these, the sesame candy produced in Daliuzhuang is the most famous. According to descendants of the Liu family, during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, two brothers surnamed Liu migrated from — County. To make a living, they began researching...
Produced in Weiwan Village, Weiwan Town, this dish has over a hundred years of processing history. It uses locally sourced wild rabbits as the main ingredient, along with more than ten kinds of pure natural precious Chinese medicinal herbs as seasonings. Combining traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, it undergoes more than ten processing steps including marination, steaming, deep-frying, vacuum packaging, and high-temperature sterilization. The meat is tender, fragrant…
Produced in Lianzhuang Village, Yandianlou Town. The village has been processing vermicelli sheets since the late Qing Dynasty, passing down the craft through generations while gradually expanding production. By 2009, there were 120 vermicelli workshops in the village, producing 1,500 tons of vermicelli sheets annually, with products sold to Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, and other regions. Thanks to vermicelli processing, the per capita income increased by 8,000 yuan. The vermicelli processing specialist Lian Delin invested 200,000 yuan to build a 300-square-meter workshop that integrates raw material storage, starch mixing rooms, processing areas, drying fields, and packaging rooms. It is equipped with modern production facilities such as slurry mixers and vacuum sealers, further boosting the vermicelli production capacity. The village also utilizes vermicelli residue to raise pigs, creating an integrated breeding-processing-sales model for prosperity. There are now 70 pig-raising households in the village, raising 6,400 pigs, which alone bring an additional annual income of 10,000 yuan per household.
Weiwan Town boasts abundant water resources and is renowned for its lotus root production. The lotus roots grown here are characterized by their numerous air pockets, thick segments, crisp texture, authentic flavor, sweetness, and lack of residue. The roots are tender and white, highly nutritious, and possess strong tonic properties. They serve not only as a premium vegetable dish but also as a health food with high medicinal value. Lotus root cultivation has been widespread in the area since the Qing Dynasty. After the 1950s, with the construction of the Taihang Dyke…
In 1992, Wangji Village in Sun Laojia Town was the first to plant bird’s eye chili using intercropping and plastic mulching, achieving considerable profits. Seizing the opportunity, the town’s Party committee and government hired technicians from Neixiang County, Henan Province, to promote bird’s eye chili cultivation across the entire town. The town invested over one million yuan to purchase chili seeds, specialized fertilizers, …
Produced in Zhukou Village, Liangditou Town. Chinese toon is generally harvested only in late spring to early summer, resulting in a short edible season. In 1984, with the help of the county science and technology commission, agriculture bureau, and other departments, villagers in Zhukou Village conducted trials on greenhouse cultivation of Chinese toon. The main varieties grown in greenhouses are Red Chinese Toon and Red Sprout Green Chinese Toon. Seedlings are cultivated and greenhouses are built locally. …
The qi twigs produced in Cao County are soft in texture, pure white in color, uniformly straight with no forks, long and slender, highly resilient, and easy to process. Their cultivation has a history of over 600 years, making the area a well-known domestic base for high-quality qi twig production and processing. Before 1949, qi twig planting in the region was mainly concentrated around Mazi in Guyingji, northeast of the county town. After 1949, the planting...