Tongling Ginger

Tongling Ginger

　　Ginger is one of the “Eight Treasures” of Tongling. It is renowned for its “large size, thin skin, abundant juice, little fiber, tender and delicate flesh, and strong aroma.” Tongling ginger is highly nutritious. According to analysis, it contains 1.4% protein, 8% sugar, and 0.7% fat. In addition, it also contains essential calcium, iron, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, ascorbic acid, and inorganic salts. Medicinally, ginger has benefits such as dispelling dampness, removing cold, inducing perspiration, and increasing body warmth. Products made from Tongling ginger, such as candied ginger, vinegar ginger, and dried ginger, have always been bestsellers. Especially sugar-coated iced ginger, which is one of Tongling’s export products.

　　( Tongling )

　　A perennial herbaceous plant with rhizomes. The rhizome is fleshy, thick, flat, aromatic, and spicy. Leaves are arranged in a column, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 15–30 cm long, about 2 cm wide, tapering at the tip and narrowing at the base, smooth and hairless, with sheaths that clasp the stem; petiole-less. Flower stalks are upright, covered with imbricate, loosely spaced scales; the spike-like inflorescence is oval to elliptical, about 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide; bracts are oval and light green; flowers are dense, about 2.5 cm long, with sharply pointed tips; calyx is short and tubular; corolla is 3-lobed, with lanceolate yellow lobes, a shorter lip that is oblong-obovate, pale purple with yellowish-white spots, and small lateral lobes on both sides underneath; stamens consist of 1 prominent filament, ovary is inferior; style is thread-like, pale purple, stigma is radiate. The capsule is oblong, about 2.5 cm long. Flowering period is from June to August. Ginger is one of the “Eight Treasures” of Tongling. It is renowned for its “large size, thin skin, abundant juice, little fiber, tender and delicate flesh, and strong aroma.”

　　Tongling ginger is highly nutritious. According to analysis, it contains 1.4% protein, 8% sugar, and 0.7% fat. In addition, it also contains essential human nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, carotene, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, anti-scorbutic acid, and inorganic salts. Old ginger has functions such as strengthening the stomach, stopping bleeding, soothing the qi, dispelling cold, resolving phlegm, detoxifying, inducing perspiration to reduce fever, flavoring vegetables, and stimulating appetite. People in Tongling love to eat ginger and regard it as a beneficial medicine. There is a local saying: “A slice of ginger is better than a prescription,” and “A cup of ginger soup keeps everyone healthy.” Products made from Tongling ginger, such as candied ginger, vinegar ginger, and dried ginger, have always been bestsellers. Especially sugar-coated iced ginger, which is one of Tongling’s export products. Tongling ginger is one of the “Eight Treasures” of Tongling and is a perennial herbaceous plant cultivated as an annual crop. Scientifically identified by the Horticulture Institute of the Anhui Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Tongling ginger belongs to the white ginger type, classified under the "fingered ginger" variety. Fresh ginger has pale yellowish-white skin, bulbous fingers resembling a Buddha's hand, thick and plump segments. The ginger tips are full, white, tender, juicy, spicy but not overpowering—making it a versatile edible product. Tongling ginger is long famed for its “large size, thin skin, abundant juice, little fiber, tender and crisp flesh, and rich aroma.” The history of ginger production in Tongling is long-standing, with cultivation dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period. By the Northern Song Dynasty, Tongling had become a nationally renowned ginger-producing region and was listed as a tribute to the imperial court. According to the Jiajing-era *Tongling County Annals*, during the Ming Dynasty, Tongling ginger had become a “popular” specialty. “The county produces ginger, garlic, ramie, and moutan bark, among others. Though there are occasional traders, most are from distant regions coming to purchase.” (*Qing Dynasty, Zhao Jinfeng, Common Customs · Record of Xincheng*). In the 13th year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1656), the *Tongling County Annals · Products* recorded that ginger production at the time was “no less than 100,000 dan per year.” By the Republican era, annual production was around 720 tons. At the time, there were six private ginger merchants in Datong, who purchased fresh ginger each year for sale in cities like Anqing, Wuhu, Zhenjiang, and Yangzhou. Well-known sauce workshops such as Anqing’s “Hu Yumei,” Yangzhou’s “Simewei,” and Zhenjiang’s “Hengshun” bought Tongling ginger to produce sugar-coated iced ginger, sweet-and-sour ginger, and spiced ginger. In the early years of the People’s Republic, ginger was still traded by private merchants. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, due to the overemphasis on grain production, ginger planting area and yield were affected and declined. In the 1980s, under the policy of actively developing diversified operations, both planting area and yield continued to grow. Aside from some purchases by supply and marketing cooperatives, most ginger was directly bought by sauce workshops from the production areas or transported by farmers to markets for self-sale. From 1964 to 1990, the highest procurement volume by supply and marketing departments was in 1966, with 60,800 kg purchased, while the lowest was in 1978, with only 350 kg. In the 1970s, the planting area hovered around 200 mu, with annual ginger production typically around 150 tons. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, ginger planting developed rapidly. In 1980, 315 mu were planted with a total yield of 324.3 tons; in 1985, 945 mu were planted with a total yield of 1,122.6 tons; in 1990, 1,362 mu were planted, yielding 1,113 kg per mu and a total of 1,516 tons. With the booming development of the ginger industry, achieving remarkable results, ginger farmers’ enthusiasm for planting hit unprecedented heights. By 2005, the ginger planting area had reached 8,000 mu, with total production exceeding 10,000 tons. A number of leading enterprises emerged, offering over 40 product varieties across five major categories. The “Tongguan Le” brand appetizing ginger, selenium-rich Tongling white ginger, and “Heping” sweet-and-sour ginger have earned titles of Anhui Provincial Famous Agricultural Products. The “Dayuan” brand sweet-and-sour ginger has been recognized as an Anhui Characteristic Agricultural Product. Ginger products are sold in surrounding counties and cities, supermarkets in large and medium-sized cities, and exported to markets including the EU. Tongling ginger is renowned nationwide for its “large size, thin skin, abundant juice, little fiber, tender and delicate flesh, and strong aroma.” It is both edible and medicinal, and highly nutritious. Analysis shows it contains 1.4% protein, 8% sugar, 0.7% fat, along with essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, carotene, and vitamin B1. Medically, Tongling ginger aids digestion, relieves nausea, soothes qi, dispels cold, resolves phlegm, detoxifies, induces perspiration, and reduces fever. Tongling ginger cellars are unique, serving both for sprouting and storing ginger. Their advantage lies in the heating and dehydration process during seed incubation, which dries and shrinks the ginger skin, reducing free water in the ginger pieces, raising internal temperature, promoting enzyme activity, transforming nutrients, killing some pathogens on the seed ginger skin, and purifying viruses within the ginger—thus reducing disease occurrence. Additionally, storage and sprouting are achieved in one step, and the ginger cellar can store large quantities of sprouting seed ginger at once, holding between 8,000–10,000 kg per cellar.