Sandy Oil Chestnut

Sandy Oil Chestnut

　　Sandy Oil Chestnut is produced in Shadi Township, Enshi City. It is an elite chestnut variety selected by the Enshi Municipal Forestry and Special Products Bureau through comparative and production trials from local chestnut species.

　　The Sandy Oil Chestnut tree features a compact canopy, strong vigor, semi-spreading posture, and a round-topped shape. It grows on medium-sized fruiting branches, with large, oval-shaped leaves that are glossy and have an inverted ovate form. The burrs are oval and of medium size, with thin outer shells that split crosswise upon maturity. The nut yield exceeds 45%, with an average single nut weight of 11 grams. The nuts have a beautiful appearance, being cylindrical red in color, oily and shiny, with easily removable bitter skins. The flesh is sweet, delicious, and highly nutritious. According to tests conducted by the Institute of Atomic Energy at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the nuts contain 8.9% protein, 18.8% sugar, 8% fat, 64.3% starch, as well as over 20 types of trace elements such as selenium, zinc, iron, and calcium. This variety is suitable for cultivation in slightly acidic yellow soil and sandy loam soils at altitudes below 1,400 meters, with an optimal planting density of 55–110 trees per mu.

　　Sandy Oil Chestnut was discovered in the 19th century in Dachi Village, Shadi Township, Enshi City, where small-scale development was carried out at the time. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, through research and development by the Enshi Municipal Forestry Science Institute, it was cultivated into a superior local variety. The Enshi Municipal Science and Technology Commission officially named it “Sandy Oil Chestnut,” and its high quality was verified by the Institute of Atomic Energy Utilization at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Since 1998, the Shadi Township government has relied on science and technology and implemented rational planning to develop the Sandy Oil Chestnut industry on a large scale. First, it partnered with Hubei Minzu University to achieve substantial results in chestnut storage and preservation, pest and disease control, and the development of related product lines. Second, it established two Sandy Oil Chestnut production bases in Dachi Village and Changjiaopo Forest Farm, covering an area of 10,000 mu. Third, it worked to officially recognize the “Sandy Oil Chestnut” name. In 1999, the variety was certified as a superior local variety by the State Crop Variety Approval Committee and officially named “Sandy Oil Chestnut.” In late September 2000, during the “Enshi City Chestnut Production Academic Symposium” hosted by Hubei Minzu University and the Enshi Municipal Government, and organized by the Shadi Township government and the Horticulture Department of Hubei Minzu University, more than 30 renowned dried fruit experts from across the country tasted and academically reviewed the Sandy Oil Chestnut and conducted on-site inspections of the production bases. They concluded that “Sandy Oil Chestnut is rich in trace elements such as selenium, zinc, and calcium, is a superior local variety, and can be demonstrated and promoted for cultivation in most regions of the middle and lower Yangtze River or southern China.” Since then, Sandy Oil Chestnut has entered a fast-track, efficient, high-tech, and large-scale industrial development path. Currently, Shadi Township has developed 32,000 mu of Sandy Oil Chestnut, with an annual output of 110,000 kilograms.