Gutian Younai

Gutian Younai

Gutian Younai is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　　Gutian Younai, scientific name: Prunus salicina Lindl.var.Cordata Y.He et J.Y.Zhang cv.“younai”. Also known as: Nai, Western Younai, Peach-shaped Plum, Crooked-mouth Plum.

　　　　Younai is an outstanding cultivar in the yellow-fleshed Nai plum system. The fruit is large, weighing 80 to 120 grams per piece, with some reaching up to 240 grams. The shape resembles a peach, yet the texture is similar to that of a plum. It has a broad shoulder, a bluntly pointed top, and tilts toward the suture groove, hence the name “Crooked-mouth Plum.” The skin is yellowish-green with silver-gray speckles, raised oil glands, and a clearly furrowed suture line. The flesh is thick, pale yellow, with a 96.7% edible rate. It is crisp, juicy, sweet, and of excellent quality. The pit is small and semi-free. In Gutian, it flowers in early March and ripens around early August. Flowering and fruiting times vary with temperature, and the fruit stores and transports well.

　　　　Younai is produced mainly in Xiyang and ShanYang townships of Gutian County. The “Gutian County Annals” record: “The Nai is larger than crabapple, and those from Xiyang in the eastern part of the county are exceptionally delicious.” This shows that Gutian Younai has a long cultivation history. In 1993, the county had 45,000 mu under cultivation. In recent years, the industry has developed rapidly, with significant planting areas in southern and eastern Fujian. It has also been widely introduced in Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces.

　　　　Fresh Younai fruit is richly aromatic, sweet and pleasantly tart, making it very popular with consumers. The fruit is highly nutritious, containing 14–16% soluble solids, sugars, vitamins, and various mineral salts such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. It aids digestion and stimulates appetite and spleen function. Processed into dried plums, the fruit has a glossy, brownish exterior, orange-yellow flesh, and exceptional taste. It can be made into honeyed Younai slices, canned sugar-glazed Younai slices, or a variety of candied products, all of which are highly competitive in the market.

　　　　Gutian Younai is a renowned, specialty, and high-quality fruit of Fujian Province. With its superior natural ecology and geographical environment, long cultivation history, and strong local farming expertise, Gutian is the origin and main production area of Younai. In 2001, the county’s Younai cultivation area reached 54,000 mu, with a total yield of 27,000 tons and a total output value exceeding 67 million yuan. Younai production has become a major component of the rural economy and a key pathway for farmers to escape poverty and achieve prosperity. Gutian Younai is a variant within the plum species of the Rosaceae family. It features a peach-shaped fruit that is large, weighing 80–120 grams per piece, with the largest reaching 350 grams. The skin is yellowish-green, while the flesh is yellow, thick, tender, crisp, juicy, and sweet, with excellent quality. The pit is small and semi-free, often separating from the flesh at the top, forming a hollow cavity—a key characteristic of the Nai plum. Younai is rich in nutrients and offers health benefits such as clearing heat, promoting urination, moistening the lungs, aiding digestion, and stimulating appetite and spleen function. It stands out among Fujian’s fine fruits and is highly favored by consumers both domestically and internationally. In 1989, the Provincial Science and Technology Commission included Gutian Younai in the Spark Program development projects. In 1992, the Shanghai Science Education Film Studio produced a documentary titled “Fujian’s Finest Fruit – Gutian Younai,” which was broadcast nationwide. In September 1993, the National Science and Technology Commission awarded the Gutian County Agriculture Bureau’s Economic Crops Station the “Third Prize of the National Spark Program” for their contributions to high-yield Younai cultivation research. In February 1995, Gutian Younai was officially certified by the Fujian Crop Variety Approval Committee. In 1999, the “Gutian Younai” product standard was issued and implemented by the Fujian Provincial Bureau of Technical Supervision. Also in 1999, the state-owned Gutian Hubin Tea Farm’s Younai received the “Green Food” certification and was honored as a “Famous Brand Agricultural Product of Fujian Province” in May 2001.