Wuping Turnip

Wuping Turnip

Wuping Turnip is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Wuping Turnip

　　Turnip, scientifically named Brassica rapa, also called rutabaga or turnip root, is a tuberous plant. It is commonly referred to as "pancai" (plate vegetable) due to its disc-like shape. The root resembles a round radish and can be salted, dried, and made into a preserved vegetable known as "shucai." In East China, it is widely called "xiang dadou" (fragrant big head). It is a biennial herbaceous plant of the subspecies rapifera in the species rapa of the genus Brassica that forms fleshy roots. Scientific name: Brassica campestris L. ssp. rapifera Matzg (syn. B. rapa L.), also known as rutabaga, round root, or pancai. Chromosome number: 2n=2x=20. Its enlarged, fleshy root is edible, containing per 100g fresh weight: 87–95g water, 3.8–6.4g carbohydrates, 0.4–2.1g crude protein, 0.8–2.0g fiber, 19.2–63.3mg vitamin C, along with other mineral salts. The fleshy root is tender and dense, suitable for stir-frying, boiling, or pickling. It is cultivated in Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

　　The Wuping Western Suburbs Turnip belongs to the Brassica rapa variety of the Brassicaceae family, a tuberous plant locally referred to in Hakka as "youtou." It has a growth cycle of 90–100 days. The root is enlarged and disc-shaped, with dark green, fuzzy-surfaced leaves growing in clusters. Each root weighs between 0.5–1.0 kg. The Wuping Western Suburbs Turnip is an improved variety selected from local strains. It features a smooth skin, yellowish-white flesh, dense texture, sweet taste, and high nutritional value. Suitable for both cooking and pickling, it is highly favored by consumers. The Wuping County government has established a Turnip Association to actively promote new varieties and technologies, implementing a unified model of "production standards, supply of materials, and product sales" to achieve a development model of "cultivation (base) + processing (export)." This has effectively advanced the industrialization of Western Suburbs Turnip cultivation. Thanks to the efforts of farmers and marketers, over 2,500 acres of Wuping Western Suburbs Turnips are planted annually across 56 villages in five towns—Pingchuan, Chengxiang, Zhongshan, Wan’an, and Dongliu—in the western suburbs of Wuping County, yielding 3,750 tons and generating an annual output value of over 22 million yuan. Cultivation of the Western Suburbs Turnip has become one of the main avenues to prosperity for farmers in the key production areas.