Xiaoshan Bayberries

Xiaoshan Bayberries

　　Product Origin: Xiaoshan, Hangzhou

　　Product Characteristics: Small seed, round flesh pillars, sweet and fresh taste.

　　Product Season: Buds emerge in early March, flowers bloom abundantly in mid to late March, leaves unfold in early April, and fruits ripen around June 20.

　　Product Benefits: Cough relief, promotes salivation, aids digestion, benefits kidneys and diuresis, relieves summer heat and dispels boredom.

　　Product Components: Carbohydrates and vitamins.

　　Product Benefits: Stimulates appetite, relieves summer heat and promotes salivation, inhibits bacteria and stops dysentery, has astringent and anti-inflammatory effects, benefits kidneys and diuresis, relieves summer heat and dispels boredom.

　　Product Introduction: “More splendid than lychees, more fragrant than magnolia; bursting with stamens and firm fruit, golden and crimson hues abound; mirrored in sunlight through carved valleys, rosy clouds over rugged peaks; they are my wings, laid upon your jade plate.” Jiang Yan, a literary figure of the Liang Dynasty during the Southern Dynasties, was the first to write poetry about bayberries. This “Ode to Bayberries” vividly and beautifully depicts the color, aroma, taste, shape, growing environment, and presentation of bayberries when served. Bayberries are a specialty of Zhejiang. Areas such as Xiaoshan, Cixi, Yuyao, and Lanxi are all bayberry-producing regions, but those from the Duji area of Xiaoshan are the most famous. These bayberries are large in size, with 28 to 30 fruits per 500 grams. The local saying goes, “When Summer Solstice arrives, the hills are red with bayberries.” This year’s Summer Solstice falls on June 21. If you visit the bayberry orchards around this solar term, you’ll find them shaded by green foliage and laden with bright red fruits—their sweet fragrance will make your mouth water.

　　Product Anecdote: “In May, the bayberry orchards are full; at first glance, each berry seems worth a thousand coins. Its taste surpasses the grapes of the north, its color deeper than the lychees of southern Lu.” These are verses by a Tang Dynasty poet praising bayberries. The story goes that in ancient Liang State, there was a son of the Yang family named Yang Xiu, who was exceptionally intelligent. At the age of nine, while his father was away, a friend of his father, Kong Jun, came to visit. Yang Xiu served his guest several plates of fruit, one of which contained bayberries. Kong pointed to the bayberries and said to Yang Xiu, “These are truly the fruits of the Yang family!” The famous Southern Song poet...