Anyang Trichosanthes

Anyang Trichosanthes

Anyang Trichosanthes is an agricultural product with geographical indication status.

　　Quality Characteristics of Anyang Trichosanthes

　　The fruit of Anyang Trichosanthes is subspherical or broadly elliptical, measuring 7–10 cm in length and 6–8 cm in diameter. The surface is orange-yellow, wrinkled or relatively smooth, with a rounded stigma remnant at the apex and a slightly pointed base that retains remnants of the fruit stalk. The texture is relatively brittle and easily broken. The inner surface is yellowish-white with reddish-yellow fibrous strands, and the pulp is orange-yellow, viscous, and clumped together with numerous seeds, giving off a sweet aroma with a mild, slightly sour-sweet taste. The fruit contains saponins, organic acids, resins, fatty oils, sugars, pigments, and more. High-quality fruits are those that are regular in shape, have thick and tough skin, are wrinkled, display apricot-yellow or red-yellow hues, are rich in sweetness, and remain unbroken.

　　The quality characteristics of Anyang Trichosanthes Tuber Powder can be summarized as: large pieces, uniform size, white color, firm and fine texture, few fibers, and rich powderiness.

　　Anyang Trichosanthes Tuber Powder matures quickly with a short growth period. When cut vertically, it shows a clean white color, excellent powderiness, absence of yellow veins, and high starch content. It holds significant medicinal value and has long been recognized as the highest-quality pollen in China, commonly known as “Anyang Pollen.”

　　Trichosanthes Tuber (i.e., the root of the Trichosanthes plant) is irregularly cylindrical, spindle-shaped, or flaky, measuring about 8–16 cm in length and 1.5–5.5 cm in diameter. The surface is pale yellow, with light yellowish-brown areas where the coarse skin has not been fully removed. It features longitudinal wrinkles, fine root scars, and slightly sunken transverse elongated lenticels. The texture is firm, and the cross-section is white or pale yellow with rich powderiness. The transverse section reveals small yellow duct pores arranged slightly radially, while the longitudinal section shows yellow fibrous vein patterns. It is odorless with a slightly bitter taste.

　　The authentic production area of Anyang Trichosanthes (a medicinal plant of the Cucurbitaceae family, whose fruit and seeds are both used medicinally) is located in Anyang City, Henan Province. Anyang is situated in the northernmost part of Henan, at the junction of Shanxi, Hebei, and Henan provinces. It administers four counties, one city, and four districts: Anyang County, Tangyin County, Neihuang County, Huaxian County, Linzhou City, Wenfeng District, Beiguan District, Yindu District, and Long’an District. There are 50 townships, 42 towns, 43 subdistrict offices, 202 communities/resident committees, and 3,280 administrative villages. Its geographical coordinates are between 113°37′–114°58′ east longitude and 35°12′–36°22′ north latitude. The western part consists of mountainous terrain, while the eastern part is plain. Natural elevations range from 48.4 to 1,632 meters above sea level. To the west, it borders the Taihang Mountains and connects with Shanxi Province; to the north, it faces Handan City in Hebei Province across the Zhang River; to the east, it neighbors Puyang City in Henan Province; and to the south, it connects with Hebi and Xinxiang cities in Henan. The maximum north-south distance is 128 km, and the maximum east-west distance is 122 km, covering an area of 7,413 square kilometers with a population of 5.366 million. Anyang has favorable natural conditions for the industrialized cultivation of Trichosanthes, with a planting area of 100 hectares and an annual yield of 250 tons, backed by extensive cultivation experience.