Luotian Chestnuts

Luotian Chestnuts

Luotian Chestnuts are a protected geographical indication product.

Luotian Chestnuts are a certified geographical indication trademark.

　　"Silkworms spin silk, bees make honey, trees yield oil, and mountains produce chestnuts" — this is the local specialty that the people of Luotian in the Dabie Mountains of eastern Hubei take great pride in, and it has become a source of wealth and honor.

　　The cultivation of chestnuts in this county began as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. With a wide variety of cultivars, unique colors and flavors, and production spread across the entire county, all chestnut products sold externally are branded as "Luotian Chestnuts".

　　The kernels of Luotian Chestnuts contain starch, protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, as well as vitamins A, B, C, and B2. The protein content is 30% higher than that of rice, and the fat content is 20 times higher.

　　The unique quality and reputation of Luotian Chestnuts have attracted many foreigners. Professor Lorton from Auburn University in the United States traveled a great distance to Luotian for an inspection. After conducting a field study of Luotian Chestnut varieties, he concluded that Luotian is the "world gene bank of chestnuts" and actively introduced American businesspeople to develop a series of chestnut products in Luotian, China. Experts from Japan, Canada, Italy, and other countries have visited Luotian over 20 times for inspections, marveling at the quality of its chestnuts. It is said that after importing Luotian Chestnuts, Japan processes them into uniquely flavored chestnut foods, which they call "ginseng fruit".

　　Undoubtedly, Luotian Chestnuts have gone global. The people of Luotian are not content with just producing fresh chestnuts; they are now focusing on deep processing. The county has built five chestnut cold storage facilities and over 200 small canneries; the next step is to develop new products such as chestnut sweet boiled in syrup, quick-frozen chestnut meat, chestnut powder, chestnut preserves, chestnut yokan, chestnut juice, and chestnut mushrooms. Once these products are launched, it won’t be long before Luotian becomes the world-renowned "Kingdom of Chestnuts".

　　Luotian is a major chestnut-producing region in China with a long history, earning the reputation as the "Home of Chestnuts". It is the top chestnut-producing county in the country, ranking first in both area and yield. Luotian Chestnuts are fragrant, large, and crispy, unmatched in the south and superior in the north. There are 17 main varieties of Luotian Chestnuts, including Osmanthus Fragrance, September Cold, Red Light, Early Chestnut, Oil Chestnut, and Woolly Chestnut, each with unique colors, flavors, and characteristics. Osmanthus Fragrance has a dark purple shell with a glossy finish, yellow flesh, a sweet and tender taste, and a hint of osmanthus aroma, making it one of the best varieties of Luotian Chestnuts. Early Chestnut has a reddish shell, loose and crispy flesh, and a sweet and fragrant taste. Red Light Chestnut has a bright crimson shell, crisp and tender flesh, and a sweet flavor. Woolly Chestnut has a purple shell with frost-like fuzz, offering a fragrant taste when raw and a sweet flavor when cooked. Oil Chestnut has a shiny bluish-black shell, rich in oiliness, and tastes as fragrant as osmanthus and as sweet as pears, making it a premium-grade chestnut. These are exported to countries and regions such as the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.

　　 Luotian County was established in 523 AD and is located in the eastern part of Hubei Province, at the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains. It borders Yingshan to the east, Xishui to the south, Tuanfeng and Macheng to the west, and Jinzhai in Anhui to the north. The county stretches 105 kilometers from north to south and 54.7 kilometers from east to west, covering an area of 2,144 square kilometers with a population of 600,000. The terrain features a mix of high mountains, hills, and rivers. Luotian County is known for its picturesque landscapes and abundant resources, and is nationally renowned as the "Home of Silkworms", "Home of Chestnuts", "Home of Poria Cocos", and "Home of Sweet Persimmons". It leads the nation in chestnut production, ranks first in Hubei Province in annual silkworm cocoon output, and its "Jiuzhihe Poria Cocos" is famous worldwide. The non-astringent Jianzishi sweet persimmon is a unique treasure of China. The county’s agricultural and specialty resources are of exceptional quality and uniqueness, forming strong brand advantages with significant development potential. Luotian County is also one of the old revolutionary bases in the Dabie Mountains. The region has a subtropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of 16.4°C, a frost-free period of 228 days, and an average annual rainfall of about 1,400 millimeters. The mild climate and abundant rainfall provide ideal conditions for the growth of a variety of agricultural and forestry crops.

　　 Luoshan County is located in southern Henan and is one of the province’s key forestry counties. In recent years, chestnuts have rapidly developed as one of the pillar industries for poverty alleviation and prosperity among the local population. Currently, the county has established 402,000 acres of chestnut bases, primarily featuring Yuluohong Chestnuts and Luoshan Large Chestnuts, with 160,000 acres of productive orchards. Annual chestnut production reaches 20.8 million kilograms. The products are of high quality, vibrant in color, highly resistant to storage, and rich in nutrients, making them highly popular among consumers. The chestnuts are exported to major domestic and international cities such as Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Shanghai, Wuhan, and Guangzhou, generating an annual output value of 104 million yuan and tax revenue of 10.4 million yuan.

　　 The county has established 160 chestnut bases exceeding 1,000 acres each, forming 10 towns where chestnut production is the dominant industry, and over 3,600 specialized chestnut farming households. A total of 500,000 people in the county benefit from chestnut development, and 200,000 have lifted themselves out of poverty through chestnut production. Currently, the county has built 10 chestnut sales markets with an annual throughput of 15 million kilograms, and seven chestnut processing enterprises with an annual processing capacity of 3 million kilograms. In the process of building chestnut bases, Luoshan County has leveraged its resource advantages, established and improved service systems, and actively implemented chestnut industrialization, achieving remarkable results. In 1994, it was awarded the title of "Advanced County in Chestnut Base Construction" by the Henan Provincial Forestry Department and "National Advanced County in Economic Construction" by the former Ministry of Forestry. In 2001, it was named the "Home of Chestnuts in China" by the State Forestry Administration.

　　 Luotian County is among the first group of counties in China designated as a Home of Famous, Special, and High-Quality Economic Forest Products for its chestnuts. Luotian Chestnuts are renowned worldwide, with a total cultivated area of 920,000 acres and an annual production exceeding 70 million kilograms, ranking first in both yield and area nationwide. The products are known for their large size (superior-grade chestnuts have fewer than 40 nuts per kilogram), excellent quality (the chestnuts are brightly colored, nutrient-rich, and highly resistant to storage), and affordable prices (priced at 5–10 yuan per kilogram, sold in grades based on quality). Additionally, the chestnut season is long, typically from the end of August to mid-November, with high-quality seedlings also available for sale. Friends from all walks of life are warmly welcome to visit Luotian for guidance, inspection, and business opportunities.

　　 "Silkworms spin silk, bees make honey, trees yield oil, and mountains produce chestnuts" — this is the local specialty that the people of Luotian in the Dabie Mountains of eastern Hubei take great pride in, and it has become a source of wealth and honor. The cultivation of chestnuts in Luotian County began as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. With a wide variety of cultivars, unique colors and flavors, and production spread across the entire county, all chestnut products sold externally are branded as "Luotian Chestnuts". The kernels of Luotian Chestnuts contain starch, protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, as well as vitamins A, B, C, and B2. The protein content is 30% higher than that of rice, and the fat content is 20 times higher.

　　 The unique quality and reputation of Luotian Chestnuts have attracted many foreigners. Professor Lorton from Auburn University in the United States traveled a great distance to Luotian for an inspection. After conducting a field study of Luotian Chestnut varieties, he concluded that Luotian is the "world gene bank of chestnuts" and actively introduced American businesspeople to develop a series of chestnut products in Luotian, China. Experts from Japan, Canada, Italy, and other countries have visited Luotian over 50 times for inspections, marveling at the quality of its chestnuts. It is said that after importing Luotian Chestnuts, Japan processes them into uniquely flavored chestnut foods, which they call "ginseng fruit".

　　 Undoubtedly, Luotian Chestnuts have gone global. The people of Luotian are not content with just producing fresh chestnuts; they are now focusing on deep processing. The county has built over 50 chestnut cold storage facilities and more than 200 chestnut processing enterprises, developing over 20 products such as chestnut canned goods, "Smiling Chestnuts", chestnut sweet boiled in syrup, quick-frozen chestnut meat, chestnut powder, chestnut preserves, chestnut yokan, chestnut juice, chestnut mushrooms, and chestnut shell charcoal. Luotian has become the world-renowned "Kingdom of Chestnuts".

　　The protected geographical indication range for Luotian Chestnuts is based on the scope proposed in the "Letter on Defining the Protected Geographical Indication Range for Luotian Chestnuts" (Luo Zheng Han [2006] No. 24) issued by Luotian County, Hubei Province. It includes the current administrative regions of 12 towns in Luotian County: Shengli Town, Hepu Town, Jiuzhihe Town, Baimiaohe Township, Daqi Township, Pinghu Township, Sanlipan Town, Kuanghe Township, Fengshan Town, Dahe’an Town, Bailianhe Township, and Luotu’ao Town.