Xinzheng Chicken Heart Jujube

Xinzheng Chicken Heart Jujube

Xinzheng Chicken Heart Jujube is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　  Xinzheng dates have a long history. The fossilized date pits unearthed at the Peiligang cultural site in Xinzheng prove that date cultivation in the area dates back over 8,000 years. During the Spring and Autumn Period, there was a saying that “peaches and dates shaded the streets.” Xinzheng can be regarded as the birthplace of Chinese dates. Xinzheng dates are of premium quality and renowned both domestically and internationally. When [a notable figure] visited Japan, he specifically gifted Xinzheng Chicken Heart Jujubes to the Japanese Emperor. At the national date competition held in Xinjiang, Xinzheng dates ranked first among all date varieties. The city produces 15 million kilograms of fresh dates annually (with a historical peak of 21 million kilograms), generating an output value of over 60 million yuan, accounting for more than 10% of the total agricultural output value of the eight date-producing towns, and over 60% in the key production area of Mengzhuang Town. The pre-production, mid-production, and post-production service systems for the date industry are relatively well-established, and there are numerous date processing enterprises. In 1994, the former Ministry of Forestry and Ministry of Finance designated Xinzheng as a “National Date Production Base County (City).” In 1998, the “First Date Countryside Tour” was successfully planned and launched, developing famous attractions such as the “Ancient Date Garden” and “Jade Emperor Date Viewing Platform,” and formulating a five-year development plan for the Xinzheng date industry. The construction of the country’s largest date product distribution center, the “China Red Date Trade City,” and the top-tier new date technology demonstration park, the “Red Date Grand View Garden,” is also underway. All of these will effectively promote the healthy, rapid, and sustainable development of the Xinzheng red date industry.

　　    The Xinzheng Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government place great emphasis on the Xinzheng date industry, consistently treating it as a key pillar of agricultural industrialization, and have designated the date tree as the city tree. In 1994, the former Ministry of Forestry and Ministry of Finance designated Xinzheng as a “National Date Production Base County (City).” In 1998, the “First Date Countryside Tour” was successfully planned and launched, developing famous attractions such as the “Ancient Date Garden” and “Jade Emperor Date Viewing Platform,” and formulating a five-year development plan for the Xinzheng date industry. The construction of the country’s largest date product distribution center — the China Red Date Trade City — and the top-tier new date technology demonstration park — the Red Date Grand View Garden — is also underway. All of these will effectively promote the healthy, rapid, and sustainable development of the Xinzheng red date industry.

　　    Early-maturing varieties of Xinzheng dates include June Fresh Jujube, Nipple Jujube, and August Burst Jujube (also known as Falling Flower Red). These varieties have thin skins, crisp flesh, are sweet and juicy, and are best eaten fresh. Mid-season varieties include Ash Date, Chicken Heart Jujube, Qitou White Jujube, Bell Jujube, Jiebushu Jujube, Xinzheng Red Date, Wheat Kernel Jujube, Blackhead Sheep Jujube, and Wood Jujube. Among them, Ash Date and Chicken Heart Jujube are the main cultivated varieties, accounting for 99% of the total date orchard area and total date production, making them treasures among dates. Late-maturing varieties include September Green Jujube and Horse Tooth Jujube, which are high-yielding, sweet, and juicy, and are best enjoyed fresh.

　　    Introduction to Xinzheng Dates

　　    Xinzheng is the hometown of dates, and dates are the symbol of Xinzheng. The history of date cultivation in Xinzheng can be traced back over 8,000 years to the Peiligang culture period. In 1978, during the excavation of the Peiligang cultural site, carbonized date pits dating back 8,000 years were discovered, indicating that the ancestors in the Xinzheng area had already begun cultivating dates at that time. During the Spring and Autumn Period, when the famous statesman Zichan was in power, date trees lined the streets inside and outside the capital of the Zheng State. In the Han Dynasty, people had already recognized the medicinal value of dates. Ancient Han Dynasty bronze mirrors found in Xinzheng are inscribed with the verse: “There are immortals above who never age, drinking from the Ritual Spring when thirsty and eating dates when hungry.” By the Ming Dynasty, date cultivation in Xinzheng had reached a considerable scale. Gao Qi, one of the Ten Great Talents of the Ming Dynasty, left behind the verse: “In the frosty sky, how many hu of dates can be harvested, shelled and eaten as a substitute for Jiangnan rice.” Since the founding of New China, especially since the reform and opening up, the Xinzheng Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government have placed particular emphasis on developing the date industry, leading to more regionalized, scaled, and scientific growth. The date orchard area has expanded to 150,000 mu, with over 30 varieties. In addition to the two premium varieties, Ash Date and Chicken Heart Jujube, there are also early-maturing varieties such as June Fresh, September Green, Jiebushu, Crisp Date, and off-season varieties such as Snow Date and Winter Date. The annual production of red dates reaches 30 million kilograms, earning Xinzheng the title “Hometown of Chinese Red Dates” from the National Forestry Administration and recognition as a “Date Protection Base” supported by the Ministry of Finance.

　　　　    “Lingbao apples and Tongguan pears, Xinzheng dates sweet as honey.” Xinzheng dates are favored for their thin skin, thick flesh, small pit, and sweet taste. They contain 18 essential amino acids required by the human body, along with protein, fat, carbohydrates, organic acids, and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, iron, as well as vitamins B, C, and P, making them a natural vitamin-rich fruit with extremely high nutritional value. When [a notable figure] visited Japan, he specifically gifted Chicken Heart Jujubes to the Japanese Emperor. Dates also have high medicinal value. The leaves, flowers, fruits, peel, roots, and thorns of the date tree can all be used in medicine. Li Shizhen wrote in the Compendium of Materia Medica: “Dates are sweet in flavor and warm in nature, capable of invigorating the spleen, replenishing qi, nourishing blood, and promoting body fluid. They are used to treat conditions such as ‘weakness of the spleen, poor appetite, loose stools, and deficiency of qi and blood.’” Regular consumption of dates can help treat physical weakness, neurasthenia, disharmony of the spleen and stomach, indigestion, cough due to overexertion, anemia, and emaciation, with particularly notable benefits for liver health and cancer prevention. “Eating three dates a day keeps you young and beautiful” is a true reflection of the health and beauty benefits of dates. Leveraging its brand effect, Xinzheng dates are priced 30%–40% higher than dates from other regions on average. Every year, they also attract about 10 million kilograms of dates from other date-producing regions across the country to be traded in Xinzheng. Xinzheng has preliminarily become a national hub for date product distribution, with date products being exported as far as Southeast Asia and other parts of the world, with an average annual export volume of 6 million kilograms. Currently, there are over 280 enterprises engaged in date processing in the city, forming four major leading enterprises primarily focused on date production and processing: Dingzhen Food Company, Dahongpao Group, Aoxing Food Factory, and Zhenghan Flavor Factory. They have developed 12 series and over 80 varieties of date products, processing 11.7 million kilograms of dates annually. Products such as smoked red date concentrate, date extract, Date King Liquor, crispy jujube slices, ginseng honey dates, Date Lotus King Beverage, and Haoxiangni Date Slices are popular across fourteen provinces and regions in China and in Southeast Asia.

　　    Xinzheng Chicken Heart Jujube

　　    “When the Mid-Autumn Festival arrives, red agates cover the ground.” Autumn is the season for date harvest. At this time, visiting the date countryside, stepping onto the soft sandy soil, seeing the endless green date orchards stretching across the fields, and facing the trees laden with glistening fresh dates, your soul will unknowingly be captivated, taking you back into the embrace of nature and immersing you in an ocean of lush greenery. Here, you can pick dates, pull up peanuts, enjoy farm meals, stay in farmhouse accommodations, and experience the joy of rural life. You can also visit attractions such as the China Ancient Date Garden, Huangdi Date Viewing Platform, Ten-Thousand-Mu Red Date Garden, and Forest Park, allowing you to personally experience the joy of harvest, fully enjoy the harmonious and picturesque pastoral scenery, and fulfill your dream of a relaxing and delightful green holiday.

　　    The China Date Countryside Tour is an ecological tourism event launched by Xinzheng City, integrating sightseeing, entertainment, participation, and education, providing urban residents who live in bustling cities with a brand-new destination to return to simplicity and reconnect with nature.