Linqing Mulberry Fruit

Linqing Mulberry Fruit

Linqing mulberry fruit is a product with geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Linqing mulberry fruit is a specialty of Linqing, Liaocheng, Shandong Province.

　　Linqing City is located in the northwest of Shandong Province, at the confluence of the Zhangwei River and the ancient Grand Canal. It faces Linxi County of Hebei Province across the Wei River to the west, neighbors Gaotang and Chiping counties across the Majia River to the east, connects to Xiajin County of Dezhou region to the north, and borders Liaocheng City and Guanxian County to the south. It serves as an important gateway for Shandong heading west and Shanxi-Ji heading east, and is the first stop of the Beijing-Kowloon Railway entering Shandong Province from north to south. The world-famous Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal runs through the urban area. The city spans 55.44 kilometers from east to west and 29.88 kilometers from north to south, covering a total area of 957 square kilometers. It currently administers 12 towns and 4 subdistrict offices, with 600 administrative villages and a total population of 732,000. Linqing has a long history and is a provincial-level historical and cultural city with profound cultural heritage. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Linqing rapidly rose to prominence due to the prosperity brought by the Grand Canal’s water transport, becoming one of the five major commercial hubs north of the Yangtze River. It enjoyed over 500 years of flourishing prosperity and was known by the reputations of “the wealthiest in Qilu,” “more bustling than the two capitals,” and “Suzhou and Hangzhou in the south, Linqing and Zhangqiu in the north.” In 2006, it was recognized by the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names as a Chinese geographical names cultural heritage — a Millennium Ancient County. Linqing is situated on the Yellow River alluvial plain, featuring flat terrain with minimal slope, superior natural conditions, abundant groundwater resources, fertile soil rich in organic matter, good ventilation and drainage. The city has a temperate monsoon climate with distinct seasonal changes and typical monsoon climate characteristics. It falls under the semi-humid continental climate category, with the basic seasonal climate features being “dry and windy springs, hot and rainy summers, drought-prone late autumns, and dry and cold winters.” The prevailing winds throughout the year are southerly and southwesterly, with an average annual precipitation of about 550 millimeters.

　　Region:

　　Shandong

　　Applicant:

　　Linqing Old Course Mulberry Fruit Association

　　Region:

　　2014

　　Geographic Scope

　　The production area of Linqing mulberry fruit is located in Xianfeng Subdistrict Office, Linqing City, Shandong Province. It mainly covers six administrative villages under Xianfeng Subdistrict Office: Guodi, Shangdi Yinzhuang, Xiadi Yinzhuang, Mengdian, Guanxinzhuang, Huguo Temple, and Wangjing, within the Linqing Old Course Geological Park. The geographical coordinates are between 115°45'37" and 115°49'42" east longitude, and 36°51'10" and 36°53'54" north latitude. The protected planting area spans 86.67 hectares, with a total output of around 3,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. Appearance Characteristics: External sensory features: Linqing mulberry fruit, improved through the local environment, soil, and water quality over 600 years, has developed into a unique local variety. Its main quality traits include: large size, plumpness, bright and glossy color, sweet and delicious taste, and a kidney-like shape. Mature Linqing mulberries are plump and thick-fleshed, with larger ones reaching lengths of 3 cm to 4 cm, and a few up to 5 cm to 6 cm. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Linqing mulberry fruit is high in sweetness, rich in nutrients, and of excellent quality. Iron ≥4.8 mg/100g, Potassium ≥290.16 mg/100g, Vitamin C ≥12.1 mg/100g, Soluble solids ≥20.1%, Total acid ≤0.2%. 3. Safety Requirements: The cultivation of Linqing mulberry fruit strictly follows the standards for temperate fruit green food (NY/T844-2010).