Shimacao Rice

Shimacao Rice

Shimacao Rice is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Shimacao Rice is a specialty of Shimacao Village, Miaodian Town, Dangyang City, Yichang, Hubei Province. Rich in essential minerals and trace elements beneficial to human health, Shimacao Rice offers unique health benefits and is highly favored by residents of Dangyang and surrounding counties. It is a nationally protected geographical indication agricultural product.

　　According to the "Jingmen Prefecture Records": "Before the Han Dynasty, General Guan Yu stationed his troops here and carved a stone trough to water his horses." Hence the name Shimacao (Stone Horse Trough). Hubei’s Dangyang is a world-renowned ancient battlefield of the Three Kingdoms period, and Miaodian’s Shimacao was also a strategic location. Nestled in the hills and often shrouded in mist, the area relies mostly on mountain spring water for irrigation. The rice is rich in nutrients, with slender, translucent grains and an exceptionally delicate taste, which made it highly popular among soldiers—thus helping Shimacao Rice gain widespread fame. Legend has it that Wu’an, the deity in charge of grain, was riding a crane on a celestial patrol when he descended over Shimacao. Struck by its auspicious feng shui, he built a dwelling on the highest mountain (later named Mount Wu’an), dug a mountain spring, and used the droppings of countless cranes as fertilizer to meticulously cultivate rice for heavenly consumption. Since then, Shimacao Rice has enjoyed a long and storied legacy. As early as the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, Shimacao Rice was transported by waterway to markets in Hankou and Changsha. Its unforgettable taste and satisfying texture—even plain white rice could be eaten in three bowls—made it highly reputed in the Hankou rice market, where it maintained a strong presence for years.

　　Shimacao Village currently has 206 households and 2,260 residents, with 4,356 mu of arable land. Due to its unique “two mountains embracing a valley” terrain, Qinggang soil composition, as well as a mild climate, suitable air humidity, large diurnal temperature variations, and the practice of cold-water irrigation combined with meticulous farming by the locals, high-quality and distinctive Shimacao Rice is produced. This rice is rich in essential minerals and trace elements beneficial to human health, offers unique health benefits, and is highly favored by residents of Dangyang and surrounding counties. The average rice yield per mu in Shima Village is about 1,200 jin, with per-mu income around 2,400 yuan—far exceeding that of other rice-growing regions.

　　In 2013, the "Shimacao Rice" application submitted by the Miaodian Town Agricultural Service Center of Dangyang City passed the review of the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and expert evaluation, leading to its registration and protection as a national geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Shimacao Rice is produced in 18 villages under the jurisdiction of Miaodian Town, Dangyang City, Hubei Province: Shimacao, Miaodian, Gonghe, Lidian, Shanfeng, Shahe, Linqiao, Yanji, Liwan, Anshan, Yingxiong, Tonghu, Changchun, Puji Temple, Tongshuya, Jinggang, Qingpinghe, and Xuguang. The geographical scope spans longitude 110°41′34″ to 111°55′48″ and latitude 30°51′00″ to 31°05′00″. It borders Yuexi Town to the east, Baling Subdistrict to the south, Yuquan Subdistrict to the west, and neighbors Yuan’an County to the north. The region covers an area of 354 square kilometers, with 6,484 hectares of arable land, including 3,467 hectares of paddy fields, yielding over 30,000 tons of rice annually.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: Shimacao Rice is a medium indica variety, typically grown in cooler mountainous and hilly cold-soaked paddies with relatively low temperatures and water, resulting in large diurnal temperature differences, longer growth periods, and greater nutrient accumulation. The grains have a higher thousand-kernel weight, appearing golden and plump in color, with translucent, shiny grains and minimal belly white. The rice boasts excellent taste and texture—soft, fluffy, slightly sticky yet not greasy, fragrant, and satisfying even after repeated meals. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Shimacao Rice is highly nutritious, with protein ≥5.6%, chalky kernel rate ≤17%, chalkiness ≤1.2%, alkali spreading value of grade 6, gel consistency ≥65mm, and amylose (dry basis) ≤15.6%. 3. Safety Requirements: Shimacao Rice must comply with the requirements of the "Paddy" standard GB1350.