Xicheng Mountain Millet

Xicheng Mountain Millet

Xicheng Mountain Millet is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　 "Xicheng Mountain Millet," also referred to as "Old Valley Millet," was certified as a "Pollution-Free Food" in 2007 and its registered trademark was listed as a "Shanxi Provincial Famous Brand."

　　According to the *Shennong’s Classic of Materia Medica*, "millet is sweet and slightly cold in nature; it nourishes kidney qi, dispels stomach cold, treats diabetes (wasting-thirst disorder), and promotes urination." It has high health and nutritional value. Thanks to the specific hilly terrain of Yangcheng County, along with its unique ecological environment — including large diurnal temperature variations, abundant sunlight, and ample rainfall — these factors greatly benefit the growth and maturation of millet and facilitate the accumulation and transformation of nutrients in its grains. The millet varieties grown here are of premium quality, including Hongmiao Millet, Jin Gu 21, Jin Gu 40, Jin Gu 41, and Jin Gu 42. Their grains are golden yellow, uniformly sized, and of superior quality. The growing period for millet is 120–135 days. It is drought-resistant and can thrive in poor soils, yielding about 250–300 kilograms per mu. Currently, the planting area spans 100,000 mu, with an annual total production capacity of up to 15 million kilograms.

　　Xicheng Mountain Millet is highly nutritious, surpassing polished rice in nutritional value. It is rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, starch, vitamins B1, B2, and C. Among these, the content of vitamin B1 is 5–6 times that of polished rice, ranking the highest among all grains. The Xicheng Mountain Millet industry serves as an important pathway for mountain farmers in Yangcheng County to achieve prosperity and a moderately well-off life.

　　Xicheng Mountain Millet

　　Geographical Scope

　　Yangcheng County is located in the southeast of Shanxi Province and the southwest of Jincheng City. The county is surrounded by mountains, stretching approximately 54 kilometers from north to south and 53 kilometers from east to west, with a slightly protruding shape. It borders the suburbs of Jincheng City to the east, Qinshui County to the north, Yuanqu County to the southwest, and Jiyuan City of Henan Province to the south. It covers a total area of 1,917 square kilometers. The protected geographical indication area for Xicheng Mountain Millet includes 18 townships in Yangcheng County: Dongcheng Subdistrict, Fengcheng Town, Beiliu Town, Runcheng Town, Xihe Township, Gulong Township, Hebei Town, Jialing Township, Qianchi Town, Yanli Township, Ciying Town, Henghe Town, Dongye Town, Manghe Town, Dengdian Town, Sitou Township, Dongfeng Township, and Baishang Township. These involve 467 administrative villages, with a total production area of 3,666 hectares and an annual output of 16,500 metric tons. The protected area lies between longitude 112°03′ and 112°63′ east, and latitude 35°22′ and 35°68′ north. Xicheng Mountain, situated 30 kilometers southwest of Yangcheng County amidst a vast expanse of mountains and valleys, has the highest peak at 1,889 meters. It is the main peak of the eastern section of the Zhongtiao Mountain Range. To the east it supports the Dizhu (Pillar) Wangwu Mountains, to the south it leans on the Aobei Mountain, to the west it overlooks the Lishan Plateau, neighbors the Xiaojian Mountain, and faces the Huoze River to the north. With broad and gentle terrain, abundant water sources, and wild grasses covering the land, it is one of the rarest and largest subalpine meadows in Shanxi Province. The *Shanxi General Records* state: "Xicheng Mountain has fertile soil and abundant water, making it a rare natural pasture." Xicheng Mountain is majestic and beautiful, with unique and picturesque scenery. Far from urban and industrial zones, it enjoys a typical warm temperate continental climate, featuring long sunshine hours and a long frost-free period, creating an excellent ecological environment for the growth of rich natural resources and agricultural products. It is home to ancient pines and cypresses, exotic flowers and plants, hundreds of kinds of natural medicinal herbs, and naturally green agricultural produce.

　　Product Quality and Characteristic Features

　　1. Appearance Characteristics: Bright yellow color, with no obvious sensory color difference or mold. Semi-transparent with a smooth, sticky feel. Possesses the inherent natural fragrant aroma unique to millet from this region, with no other off-odors. After cooking, the rice emits a strong fragrance, with whole, golden-yellow grains that are soft but not sticky. It tastes good, does not harden upon cooling, and no retrogradation occurs. A unique "rice bran oil" appears on top of the cooking water (a characteristic exclusive to rice products). The porridge is thick, aromatic, and highly nutritious, often referred to as the "substitute for ginseng soup." 2. Intrinsic Quality Characteristics: Test results show that Xicheng Mountain Millet contains 120 mg/kg of calcium and 30.5 mg/kg of iron. 3. Safety Requirements: Xicheng Mountain Millet is produced strictly in accordance with the national standard system issued by the Ministry of Agriculture. Specifically, it follows GB/T11766-2008. During the millet production process, the ecological environment is rigorously protected, and no pesticides, chemical synthetic fertilizers, or farm waste fertilizers are used. The agricultural product quality maintains its original ecological integrity.