Jing Mountain White Flower Vegetable

Jing Mountain White Flower Vegetable

Jing Mountain White Flower Vegetable is a product with a geographical indication.

　　Jing Mountain White Flower Vegetable is one of the rare and renowned vegetable crops in Hubei. As early as over 2,000 years ago, it was a delicacy served to nobility at banquets. Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, praised its superior quality and delicious taste after trying it, and designated it as an annual tribute.

　　White Flower Vegetable is mainly grown in areas such as Fushui and Qingminghe Township in Anlu City in central Hubei, along both banks of the Zhangshui River in Jingshan County bordering Anlu, where locals have the habit of pickling and eating it. The Kangxi-era "Anlu County Annals" recorded: “White Flower Vegetable: Blooms small white flowers in summer, can be made into pickles, with an exceptionally fragrant taste. There are two types—red-stemmed and white-stemmed—with the red-stemmed being particularly superior, unmatched elsewhere due to differences in soil properties.” It is produced throughout the city, mainly along the banks of the Fu River. In 1958, someone came to Anlu to taste it and spoke highly of it. Traditionally pickled White Flower Vegetable has a unique fragrance, rich texture, and unforgettable aftertaste, making it a delicious dish and excellent condiment on local dining tables.

　　The growing conditions for White Flower Vegetable are unique: it only thrives in moist climates of 30°C–38°C on oily sandy soil. Grown in such regions, it is rich in vitamins, amino acids, lactic acid, and carbohydrates. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" describes White Flower Vegetable as follows: “The vegetable has a pungent smell and is best eaten salted and pickled.” Therefore, residents of Jingshan chop this plant—which is not floral but extremely fragrant, and looks like a vegetable but tastes quite bitter—and pickle it with salt. After two or three days, when the jar is opened, a strong aroma wafts out. This pickled vegetable, mixed with sesame oil, chili, or other vegetarian ingredients, or pan-fried with eggs, stir-fried with shredded meat, or cooked into soups or braised pork, tastes sweet with a hint of sourness and without any bitterness—truly marvelous.

　　The vegetable is extremely high in vitamin C, which not only benefits human growth and development but more importantly enhances immune function, promotes liver detoxification, strengthens the body, increases disease resistance, and boosts the body’s immune system. It is especially effective in preventing and treating stomach cancer and breast cancer. Studies show that in cases of stomach cancer, the level of selenium in human serum significantly drops, and the concentration of vitamin C in gastric juice is also much lower than normal. White Flower Vegetable not only supplements a certain amount of selenium and vitamin C but also provides abundant carotene, which helps prevent the formation of precancerous cells and inhibits tumor growth. Jing Mountain White Flower Vegetable can strengthen the stomach, aid digestion, dispel cold and relieve pain, treat rheumatic pain, chronic arthritis, abscesses, bone tuberculosis, hemorrhoids, and malaria. Its leaves stop diarrhea and treat bruises, while its roots treat gonorrhea.

　　Jing Mountain White Flower Vegetable

　　Geographic Scope

　　White Flower Vegetable is a traditional local specialty of Jingshan, mainly distributed along the Dafushui River, Xiaofushui River, and Zhanghe River in northern Jingshan. It is more intensively cultivated and of higher quality in Luodian Town, located in northern Jingshan, about 30 kilometers from downtown Jingshan and 120 kilometers from Wuhan. It borders Yingcheng City to the east and Anlu City to the north. Its geographic coordinates are latitude 31.15582°–30.98342° N and longitude 113.48602°–113.32328° E. The suitable planting area for Jing Mountain White Flower Vegetable exceeds 10,000 mu, with a perennial planting area of 200 hectares and a total annual yield of 6,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics:   ① Color: Green leaves and white flowers, green stems, with uniform color.   ② Smell: Emits a unique fresh fragrance during the growth period, especially during flowering. The product has a crisp texture and an unforgettable aftertaste.   ③ Shape: Short, upright stems, trifoliate leaves, solid, no old stems, many branches, relatively even length, strong axillary bud sprouting ability, with lateral branches quickly growing after the main stem is harvested.   2. Internal Quality Indicators: Pickled products are rich in various vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates, and essential trace elements such as calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium needed by the human body. Each 100 grams contains total acid ≥0.35g, amino acids ≥1.6g, calcium 900–1000mg/kg, zinc 3–10mg/kg, iron 10–30mg/kg, magnesium 150–250mg/kg. These levels are significantly higher than those of potherb mustard and other broadleaf vegetables.   3. Safety Requirements: Jing Mountain White Flower Vegetable must comply with GB2714-2003 "Hygienic Standard for Pickled Vegetables," the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Law of the People's Republic of China, the State Council's Special Provisions on Strengthening the Supervision and Management of Food and Other Product Safety, and other relevant laws, regulations, and provisions.