Gushi Radish

Gushi Radish

Gushi radish is an agricultural product with geographical indication status.

　　Gushi radish was a tribute item during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is cylindrical in shape, with the green top covering more than two-thirds of the vegetable. It has a crisp and tender texture, and when eaten raw, it is crunchy with no residue. According to tests conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture's Agricultural Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Testing Center (Zhengzhou), Gushi radish contains 90% water per 100 grams, along with 1.0 mg of zinc, 1 mg of iron, and 80 mg of calcium — all higher than other radishes.

　　In 1999, at the Third National High-Quality Agricultural Products Expo, multiple media outlets including CCTV, People’s Daily, Farmers’ Daily, and Henan Daily reported on Gushi radish under headlines such as “Gushi Radish Packed and Sold,” “Gushi Radish Sells Well in the Capital,” and “Carrying Radishes to Conquer the Capital.” These reports caused a sensation, making Gushi radish widely known across the country and leading to its sales throughout China. Radish, also known as luobo or lufu, belongs to the Brassicaceae family. There are various theories about the origin of radishes, but historical research suggests that the original species originated along the warm coasts of Eurasia. China has a long history of radish cultivation. As early as over 300 years BCE, the book “Erya” provided a clear description of radishes — referring to them as large purple-flowered roots commonly known as “baotu,” also called purple-flower mustard. By the Song Dynasty, Su Song wrote in “Bencao Tujing” that radishes were grown throughout both northern and southern China. During the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen mentioned in “Compendium of Materia Medica” that radishes had medicinal benefits such as reducing qi, aiding digestion, and relieving bloating, and were cultivated in both regions. This shows that radish cultivation has been widespread and longstanding across China. Gushi radish, also known as Gushi water radish or tender green-top radish, is mainly produced in the alluvial plains along the Shihe and Guanhe rivers in Gushi County. It has a long cultivation history. Seeds of radish were found at the “Pingzhai Site” in the Quanshui River area of Gushi. Wu Qijun (a native of Gushi), an outstanding 19th-century botanist and the only top imperial scholar from Henan during the Qing Dynasty, provided a detailed description of Gushi radish cultivation in his renowned work “Illustrated Examination of Plant Names and Realities.” The typical characteristics of Gushi radish include its cylindrical shape, green color, smooth surface, and green top covering more than two-thirds of the vegetable. It has a crisp and tender texture, sweet and juicy flavor, and is rich in nutrients. When eaten raw, it is sweet, crunchy, and residue-free, earning it the reputation of a “fruit-type radish.” Tests show that Gushi radish contains over 90% water, 1.0 mg of zinc, 1.0 mg of iron, and 80 mg of calcium per 100 grams — all higher than other radishes. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Gushi radish was a tribute item. Legend has it that during the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty, a young monk (later known as Zhu Yuanzhang) from the Huangjue Temple in Haozhou (now Fengyang, Anhui), joined the temple less than two months before a famine struck, forcing the abbot to dismiss the monks to beg for alms. The young monk went to Gushi to beg and, one winter day, received a radish from a local farmer which he ate raw. He exclaimed, “So delicious — it looks good, fills the stomach, and quenches thirst.” In the 27th year of the Zhizheng era (1367 CE), when Zhu Yuanzhang led 250,000 troops into the Central Plains, he ordered General Chang Yuchun to purchase Gushi radishes to boost the morale of his soldiers. The following year (1368 CE), after Zhu Yuanzhang unified the country, the Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang designated Gushi radish as a tribute item due to its attractive appearance, pure green color, and refreshing taste when eaten raw. This gave rise to the saying, “Of all the radishes in the world, Gushi radish is the best.” In recent years, the Gushi County Party Committee and County Government have leveraged the county’s resource advantages to build a brand for local specialty agricultural products, develop the Gushi radish industry, and implement a company + cooperative + base + farmer model. They promote large-scale planting, standardized production, industrial development, and integrated operations. Trademarks such as Tender Green Top, Wangnao, and Dongdian have been registered for Gushi radish. The annual planting area of Gushi radish reaches 60,000 mu, with an annual yield of 180,000 tons. In 2005, Gushi County was awarded the titles “Home of Famous Radishes in Henan Province” and “Home of Famous Radishes in China.” In 2009, it was named “Home of Radishes in China.” In 2011, Gushi radish received national geographical indication registration, gaining fame across the nation and winning the love of consumers.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The protected area for Gushi radish is distributed along both banks of the Shihe River within Gushi County, covering 15 townships including Xujixiang, Chenlinzizhen, Lijizhen, Shifozhen, Liushuxiang, Shahepuzhen, Jiangzizhen, Zhanglaobuzhen, Nandaqiaoxiang, Chengguanzhen, Chengjiaoxiang, Hongbuxiang, Lidianxiang, Wangliuzhen, and Sanhejianzhen, encompassing 132 administrative villages. The geographical coordinates of the protected area are between 31°55′–32°35′ north latitude and 115°39′–115°53′ east longitude. The suitable planting area is 60,000 mu, with an annual yield of 180,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: Standard Gushi radish is cylindrical in shape, green in color, smooth-surfaced, with the green top covering more than two-thirds of the vegetable, and weighs between 400–600 grams per unit. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: According to measurements by the Ministry of Agriculture's Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center (Zhengzhou), Gushi radish contains 90–91 grams of water, 1–2 grams of protein, 1–1.2 grams of total amino acids, 4–5 grams of soluble total sugar, 25–30 mg of vitamin C, 0.01–0.02 mg of vitamin B1, 0.3–0.4 mg of vitamin B2, 0.8–1.0 mg of iron, 25–30 mg of phosphorus, 0.5–1.0 mg of zinc, 50–55 mg of sodium, 0.3–0.5 mg of manganese, 70–80 mg of calcium, 10–20 mg of magnesium, and 0.1×10³–0.2×10³ grams of potassium per 100 grams. It is classified as a fruit-type radish. 3. Safety Requirements: The production environment must comply with the “Pollution-Free Agricultural Product Vegetable Production Environment Conditions” (NY5010—2002) standard, and product quality must meet the “Pollution-Free Root Vegetable” (NY5082—2005) standard. The use of unregistered or nationally banned agricultural inputs is prohibited. Standardized production practices are enforced to ensure the safety and quality of Gushi radish.