Pinghe Luxi Pickled Mustard Greens

Pinghe Luxi Pickled Mustard Greens

Pinghe Luxi Pickled Mustard Greens is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　In Pinghe, there is a local tradition of eating sweet potatoes with pickled mustard greens. Although sweet potatoes are less common nowadays and white rice more prevalent, Luxi pickled mustard greens remain a beloved accompaniment to meals. The main ingredient of Luxi pickled mustard greens is mustard greens. The Luxi town area features high and flat terrain with loose and thick soil, producing particularly fresh and tender mustard greens. Each year after the fresh mustard greens are harvested, local farmers carefully select and wash them, rub them evenly with salt, then place them in pickling barrels to ferment. Finally, they are sealed and stored in earthenware jars for three to four months. By the following spring or early summer, when the jar is opened, a rich aroma immediately fills the room. With its strong fragrance, the pickled greens can be steamed, stir-fried dry, or soaked in soup, offering a deliciously fresh and tasty flavor that helps stimulate appetite, aid digestion, and even assist with weight loss.

　　Pinghe Luxi Pickled Mustard Greens is a specialty of Pinghe County, Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province. As a traditional famous dish of Pinghe, Fujian, it boasts a rich aroma and can be steamed, stir-fried dry, or used in soups. It has a deliciously fresh taste and offers benefits such as stimulating appetite, aiding digestion, and assisting with weight loss. Pinghe Luxi Pickled Mustard Greens has been awarded a National Geographical Indication Certification Trademark.

　　The natural conditions of the Luxi Pickled Mustard Greens production area are unique. To the east is Neijian Mountain at an elevation of 1,178 meters, to the west is Guozi Ridge at 1,230 meters, to the south is Dajian Mountain at 1,089 meters, and to the north is Xian Dong Mountain at 1,530 meters. Surrounded by green hills and clear waters, the mustard greens (the key ingredient in Luxi pickled mustard greens) grown here are nourished by frost, fog, and dew, suffer from fewer pests, grow quickly, and possess a tender and fragrant taste. In addition, the selection of raw materials is distinctive. Through long-term practice, Luxi pickled mustard greens are made from large-leaf mustard greens, which have long stems, large leaves, soft texture, and are well-suited to cultivation. The pickled greens made from this variety are unmatched by other types of mustard greens. Furthermore, the pickling method is also unique. The process of making Luxi pickled mustard greens involves cutting, splitting, sun-drying, kneading, and storing the greens, and the jars used must be Yongding bitter bamboo ceramic pots. It is these unique conditions together that create the distinctive flavor of Luxi pickled mustard greens.

　　Luxi pickled mustard greens is a traditional famous dish of Pinghe, Fujian, known for its rich aroma. It can be steamed, stir-fried dry, or used in soups, offering a deliciously fresh taste that helps stimulate appetite, aid digestion, and assist with weight loss. Luxi pickled mustard greens has long been widely renowned, but before the 1990s, it was still mostly homemade and consumed locally. To enjoy this delicacy, one had to visit local farmsteads. As a result, although many had heard of it, few had tasted it, and Luxi pickled mustard greens became a treasured gift for friends and family. In 1993, several forward-thinking individuals in Luxi town established a food processing factory to produce Luxi pickled mustard greens, creating vacuum-sealed foil-packaged products. This ended the era of homemade-only consumption, introduced the product to the broader market in bulk, enriched people’s diets, and gained favor among consumers.

　　In 1993, the “Bifeng Brand” Luxi pickled mustard greens in vacuum-sealed foil packaging won the “Best-Selling Product Award” at the Provincial Famous, High-Quality, and Special Products Trade Fair. In 1997, Guo Youbiao, a chef from Pinghe County, participated in a provincial on-site cooking competition organized by the Catering Service Company. With his dish “Chicken Soup Stewed with Pickled Mustard Greens,” he earned praise from judges and experts for its “unique flavor, balanced sweet and sour notes, excellent texture, and melt-in-the-mouth feel,” winning the title of First-Class Red-Cooking Chef.

　　Certified by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, “Pinghe Luxi Pickled Mustard Greens” has been awarded China's National Geographical Indication Certification Trademark.