Ning Qianhu

Ning Qianhu

Ning Qianhu is a product with a geographical indication.

　　Ning Qianhu is the dried root of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn, a plant in the Apiaceae family. It is harvested from winter to early spring when the stems and leaves have withered or before flower stalks emerge. The fibrous roots are removed, and the root is cleaned and then dried in the sun or at low temperatures. Since the Ming Dynasty, the Qianhu produced in Ningguo County has been offered as a tribute to the imperial court. The Jiaqing-era "Ningguo Prefecture Annals" under the section on food and commodities records: “Local tributes, Ningguo County, originally allocated to the Ministry of Revenue’s Divisions A and B, included five jin and two liang of unprocessed Qianhu.” As a result, Ning Qianhu stands out nationally and enjoys a high reputation. According to the "Ningguo County Annals," the Qianhu produced in Ningguo City is known for its “large size, dark skin, long roots, yellow interior, and strong fragrance.” Because of its superior quality, the Qianhu from Ningguo, Anhui Province, has been referred to as “Ning Qianhu” since the Qing Dynasty. Since the 1950s, Ningguo-produced Qianhu has been exported to Hong Kong and Taiwan, and has always been favored and welcomed by merchants both domestically and internationally.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: The root is irregularly cylindrical, conical, or spindle-shaped, slightly twisted. The upper part of the root is thick, with branches at the lower part or smaller branches removed. It measures 3–15 cm in length and 1–2 cm in diameter. The surface is dark brown or grayish-yellow, with stem scars and fibrous leaf sheath remnants often found at the upper end, dense annular rings at the top, and longitudinal grooves, wrinkles, and transverse white lenticels at the bottom. The texture is relatively soft; dried roots are hard and can be broken. The fracture surface is uneven, pale yellowish-white, with the phloem accounting for about 3/5 of the cross-section, scattered with numerous brownish-yellow oil dots. The cambium ring is brown, and the xylem is yellowish-brown. It has an aromatic aroma and a slightly bitter and pungent taste. High-quality roots are thick, have few lateral roots, are soft in texture, have golden-yellow xylem in the fracture, and a strong fragrance. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: Peucedanin (C21H22O7) must not be less than 0.9%, extractables not less than 20.0%; moisture content not exceeding 12.0%; impurity content not exceeding 1%; total ash not more than 8.0%; acid-insoluble ash not more than 2.0%. (3) Safety Requirements: Levels of Pb, Cd, As, Hg, and Cu are all below the limits set by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of the People’s Republic of China in the "Green Industry Standard for Import and Export of Medicinal Plants and Preparations" (2001) regarding heavy metal content in traditional Chinese medicinal materials. Pesticide residues and microbial limits comply with the "Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China."

　　Geographical Scope

　　The geographical indication protection area for Ning Qianhu covers 13 townships and subdistricts currently under the jurisdiction of Ningguo City, Anhui Province, including Yunti Township, Xianxia Town, Zhongxi Town, Ningdun Town, Nanji Township, Wanjia Township, Meilin Town, Xiuxi Town, Zhufeng Subdistrict Office, Jialu Town, Hule Town, Fangtang Township, and Qinglong Township. It lies between 30°17′–30°37′ north latitude and 118°37′–119°24′ east longitude, at an altitude of 200–500 meters. The production scale is 700 hectares, with an output of 800 tons.