Kaifeng Rice

Kaifeng Rice

　　Rice cultivation in Kaifeng has a long history. The History of the Song Dynasty · Treatise on Food and Commodities records "rice planting in the capital," and Chen Jinghan of the Song Dynasty also documented rice cultivation in the suburban areas (outskirts) of Kaifeng in his work Collection of Flowering Plants. This shows that rice was already being grown in Kaifeng during the Northern Song Dynasty.

　　In 1956, a five-bay sluice gate (with a flow rate of 40 cubic meters per second) was built at Heigangkou in the northwest of the city (now Nandi Village) to divert water from the Yellow River. That year, rice was first trial-planted in Nandi Village, Beidi Village, and the North Suburban Commune. Later, as water conservancy conditions continued to improve, the planted area expanded year by year. By 1978, the rice planting area in the suburbs had reached 78,000 mu, with a total rice yield of 19.085 million kilograms.

　　"Kaifeng rice is white as jade, with plump, shiny grains. When steamed, it tastes sweet and delicious; when used in soup, its sticky texture adds exceptional flavor." Since the 1960s, the reputation of Kaifeng rice has spread far and wide, earning it a place alongside Bianliang watermelons as a renowned local agricultural specialty.

　　The unique qualities of Kaifeng rice mainly stem from the fact that the surrounding land has been repeatedly nourished by silt-laden Yellow River floods, resulting in loose, sandy soil (commonly known as "golden-earth soil"), which is ideal for rice growth. Additionally, farmers in Kaifeng traditionally grow spring-planted rice varieties with longer growth cycles, and they irrigate with fertile Yellow River water, all of which contribute to the rice’s excellent quality.