Nanhe Golden Rice

Nanhe Golden Rice

Nanhe Golden Rice is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Nanhe Golden Rice, commonly known as millet, features tightly packed golden-yellow grains that yield a richly aromatic and flavorful porridge. It is highly nutritious and makes an excellent health-promoting and beauty-enhancing gift for guests. The variety was introduced from Beijing Jingu Group and is grown in Nanhe. The soil here is neutral, with water of suitable hardness, set against blue skies and clear waters. The rice is cultivated in high-organic-matter soil without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides, ensuring zero pollution. It is rich in trace elements and amino acids, with a golden-yellow color and a sticky, fragrant texture when cooked into porridge.

　　“Nanhe Golden Rice” becomes fragrant, sticky, and delicious after just about ten minutes of cooking, exuding a pleasant aroma that nourishes the liver and stomach, replenishes energy, strengthens the body, and improves overall vitality. There's a saying among locals: “Ordinary millets part ways, but Nanhe millets stick together.” The *Nanhe Cultural and Historical Overview* records that during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, Prime Minister Song Jing, a native of Nanhe, presented his hometown’s millet to the Empress. Delighted by its exceptional taste, she honored it as “Golden Rice” and “Tribute Rice.” To commemorate Song Jing’s outstanding contributions to the promotion of Golden Rice, the people of Nanhe named their city’s most beautiful street “Song Jing Avenue.” In the north of Nanhe County lies a village called “Three Officials’ Temple.” During the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, three scholars from southern China traveling to Beijing for imperial examinations were robbed and seriously injured along the way. They stayed at an elderly woman’s home and survived on a diet of millet, miraculously recovering from their injuries. All three topped the examination rankings, and in gratitude for Nanhe Golden Rice saving their lives, they returned to plant three cypress trees in the village and built a bridge, carving grain motifs on its arch. Since then, the small village has been renamed from “Big Pigsty” to “Three Officials’ Temple.” To this day, the site retains its iconic “Three Cypresses and One Arch Bridge.”

　　Geographical Scope

　　The main production areas of Nanhe Golden Rice include Sansi Township, Yanli Township, Dongsanzhao Township, Shizhao Township, and Haoqiao Town, totaling 5 townships and 109 administrative villages. Nanhe County is located on the alluvial plain at the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains in Hebei Province and is classified as a peripheral county within the Beijing-Tianjin and Bohai Rim economic zones. The terrain here is flat, with an elevation ranging between 42 and 46 meters. It spans longitude 114°36′23″ to 114°52′25″ and latitude 36°55′47″ to 37°06′51″. The protected area for Nanhe Golden Rice covers a total of 18,000 hectares, with a planting area of 1,334 hectares and an annual output of 5,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Nanhe Golden Rice grains are full, round, and golden-yellow in color, with a white grain rate of 2–5% and a thousand-grain weight of around 2.5g. When cooked into porridge, it requires less heat and delivers a delicious taste. Generally, just 10–12 minutes after boiling, it becomes fragrant, sticky, and pleasantly aromatic. 2. Internal Quality: Nanhe Golden Rice is rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, calcium, and iron. Testing shows that it contains over 8.8% protein, over 1.9% fat, more than 8.9mg of calcium per 100g, and more than 1.4mg of iron per 100g. 3. Safety Requirements: Nanhe Golden Rice meets the quality standards set forth in the *NY5305-2005 Pollution-Free Food Millet* product specification.