Neihuang Peanuts

Neihuang Peanuts

Neihuang peanuts are a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Peanuts, commonly known as "groundnuts," have a long history of cultivation in China. They are primarily grown in Henan, Shandong, Hebei, Guangdong, Sichuan, and other regions, among which Neihuang peanuts from Henan are especially renowned for their superior quality. Neihuang peanuts are exported to countries and regions such as the United States and the European Union. The Neihuang peanut production area is a Henan provincial export peanut quality safety demonstration zone. According to the *Neihuang County Annals*, peanuts are a traditional crop in Neihuang and are revered by locals as the "longevity fruit." There is a saying: "Eating peanuts regularly promotes health, and once you eat peanuts, you lose your craving for meat." By the end of the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu reign, larger trailing peanut varieties were introduced, gradually replacing the smaller ones. Many legends about peanuts are passed down in Neihuang. One such legend tells the story of a time long ago when peanut fruits grew on branches. A mother and her son, whose name was Shigunr, made a living growing peanuts. However, greedy birds, both large and small, would come every day to peck at the peanuts, making life difficult for the pair. One noon, when it was time to cook, Shigunr’s mother asked him to check on the peanuts in the field. When he got there, the birds were at it again, pecking away, and Shigunr couldn’t keep up with them. As he ran back and forth in the field, he suddenly heard someone cry “Ouch!” Turning around, he saw an old man with a white beard lying on the ground. He quickly ran over, noticed the old man’s parched lips, and immediately gave him water from his flask and some dry rations to eat. Before long, the old man woke up and said to Shigunr, “Good child, you saved my life, and I must repay you.” He then took out a white jade ball from his person and said, “Child, dig a hole in the ground with your bare hands, bury this ball in it, and you’ll never have to chase birds away again. But remember, never use anything else to dig.” Shigunr immediately knelt and kowtowed. When he looked up, the old man had vanished. Shigunr began digging with his hands, and it hurt terribly. Looking at his fingers, he saw they were bleeding. Just as he was about to grab a shovel, he remembered the old man’s words: “Never use anything else to dig.” Clenching his teeth and enduring the pain, he kept digging with his hands. When he had dug about two feet deep, he buried the white jade ball. Suddenly, the peanuts disappeared, leaving only green leaves. He hurried over, pulled up a plant, and saw—to his surprise—that the peanuts were all underneath the vines. That’s when Shigunr understood what the old man meant about not having to chase birds anymore. From then on, peanuts have always grown underground. In Neihuang County, it is still customary during weddings to include red dates, peanuts, and chestnuts as symbols of having children soon after marriage. During weddings, each corner of a new cotton quilt is filled with a pouch of red dates, peanuts, and chestnuts, sewn tightly with thin thread and a large needle. When the bride enters the house, a group of children often scrambles to grab the treats from the quilt corners. At wedding banquets or during New Year’s visits, hosts also warmly serve guests peanuts, red dates, and similar festive snacks as symbols of joy and good fortune. Folklore also includes riddles related to peanuts, such as: “A hairy house, a red curtain, inside lives a white fat person.” According to the 1987 published Republican-era *Neihuang County Annals* (page 109), “Groundnuts (come in two sizes; the larger variety was introduced to the region during the late Qing Guangxu period, also called foreign peanuts, or said to be from America).” The 1993 edition of the *Neihuang County Annals* (page 264) states: “Peanuts are a traditional crop in Neihuang. Originally, they were small pearl-type peanuts that easily fell off during harvest, requiring the top 20 cm of soil to be sieved to collect the peanuts. By the end of the Qing Guangxu period, larger trailing peanut varieties were introduced—big plants with big fruits that didn’t fall off easily—and gradually replaced the smaller ones.”

　　Neihuang peanuts are a specialty of Neihuang County, Anyang City, Henan Province. Neihuang peanuts are widely known in domestic and international markets for their large, plump size, bright and clean color, excellent taste, high kernel yield, and superior oil quality, making them highly favored by merchants. Neihuang peanuts are a protected product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Neihuang County is located in the old course of the Yellow River in northern Henan and is a major peanut-producing area in China as well as a Henan provincial export peanut quality safety demonstration zone. Peanuts are the county’s leading industry, with varieties such as Bai Sha 171 and Yu Hua No. 7, mainly distributed in towns like Chengguan and Houhe. Peanuts have been cultivated in the county for over 200 years. According to the *Neihuang County Annals*, peanuts are revered by locals as the "longevity fruit," with the saying: “Eating peanuts regularly promotes health, and once you eat peanuts, you lose your craving for meat.”

　　In recent years, to further improve peanut quality, the county has steadily maintained peanut planting areas while vigorously promoting pollution-free peanut production techniques. It has actively carried out certification for pollution-free bases and products, established technical standards and operational procedures for pollution-free peanut production, and organized farmers to produce, harvest, store, and transport according to these standards. Currently, the county has three ministry-certified pollution-free peanut bases, covering 213,000 mu, accounting for 52% of the county’s total peanut planting area.

　　In 2012, Neihuang County’s peanut planting area reached 410,000 mu, with a total output of 150,000 tons. Peanut exports amounted to 4,182.3 tons, earning $6.638 million in foreign exchange, accounting for over 87.6% of Henan Province’s total peanut exports. The county has over 1,000 peanut trading brokers, and peanut processing and exporting enterprises such as Anyang Derun Grain & Oil Food Co., Ltd. and Anyang Haida Trading Co., Ltd. export over 3,000 tons of peanut kernels annually, accounting for over 90% of Henan Province’s total peanut kernel exports. In 2013, the county was officially awarded the honorary title of “China’s Hometown of Peanuts” by the China Specialty Association.

　　In 2013, “Neihuang Peanuts,” applied for by the Neihuang County Agricultural Technology Extension Center, passed expert evaluation and became a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Neihuang peanuts are produced in seven towns in Neihuang County, Henan Province: Chengguan Town, Houhe Town, Mashi Township, Zhongzhao Township, Liangzhuang Town, Liucun Township, and Bucheng Township. The geographical coordinates are between 114°44'16.8"–114°58'13.0" east longitude and 35°42'18.4"–35°42'18.4" north latitude. It borders Hebei Province to the north, Puyang City of Henan Province to the east, Xunxian County of Henan Province to the west, and Huaxian County of Henan Province to the south, covering an area of 20,000 hectares with a total output of 99,000 tons.