Chinese dwarf cherry

Chinese dwarf cherry

　　Commonly known as "jianjian," it resembles the sour seabuckthorn—like that found in northern Shanxi—but is much tastier. They come in various sizes, both sour and sweet, with a pleasant sweet-and-sour flavor, unlike seabuckthorn which has a peculiar taste. When ripe, the Chinese dwarf cherry is about the size of a mung bean, each one resembling a little red lantern. In Pinglu County, from the Qingle section of Shengrenjian Town eastward, and almost all over the northern mountains, they can be found everywhere.

　　The Chinese dwarf cherry is a shrub that mostly grows on sunny slopes in shallow mountain areas. In April, it blooms with small white flowers, and its leaves are oblong in shape. The branches have thorns, and each thorn, when smoothed and polished, can look like a very beautiful flower. Therefore, in the eastern part of the county, farmers often use this wood to make the stems of their tobacco pipes. The white little flowers are a favorite steamed dish among mountain folk. Around the end of April and beginning of May, people often go up the mountains to pick Chinese dwarf cherry blossoms, which they give as precious gifts to relatives and friends for use in steamed dishes. Every year around late October, before or after the first frost, is the season when the Chinese dwarf cherry ripens, covering the hills in a sea of red. Beverages made from the Chinese dwarf cherry are nutritious, delicious, and have great market potential.