Jingxi Fragrant Sticky Rice

Jingxi Fragrant Sticky Rice

　　Jingxi Fragrant Sticky Rice is a specialty of Guangxi. Its uniqueness lies in its large grains, pearly white texture, and rich aromatic fragrance. During the steaming process, the aroma fills the air, and once cooked, the rice is soft, glossy, and remains tender even after two days without hardening on the surface. It is mainly produced in townships such as Xinjing, Huadong, Yuewei, and Dizhou in Jingxi County, with the rice from Dongli Village in Xinjing Town being the purest, softest, and most fragrant. It has been described as: “When one family cooks it, ten households smell the fragrance; when ten families cook it, the whole village is filled with aroma.”

　　 Specialty Culture: The cultivation of Fragrant Sticky Rice in Jingxi began during the Song Dynasty and has a history of over 800 years. The "Guishun Direct-Controlled Prefecture Annals," compiled during the Qing Dynasty’s Guangxu reign, records: “The round, large, and glossy rice produced in the prefecture is famous, with Pearl Sticky Rice being the best,” which refers to what is now known as Fragrant Sticky Rice. After the reform and opening-up, the production of Jingxi Fragrant Sticky Rice entered a new phase of development. In 1994, the Jingxi County government included the production of Fragrant Sticky Rice in its industrial development plan as a leading agricultural project, increasing investment and technological input, and guiding farmers to expand cultivation. As a result, the planting area grew from 8,000 mu originally to 15,000 mu by 2004, with an annual yield of 5,000 tons and an output value of 15 million yuan. The "Jingxi County Annals" record that the earliest reliable time Jingxi Fragrant Sticky Rice was offered as a tribute was during the 10th year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1412 AD). According to the annals: “In the 10th year of the Yongle era, Chen Yongfu, son of Zhen’an Tusi Chen Jigang who resided in the ancient Lung area of Shun’an (present-day Jinping Town’s Jinlong Village), lured and killed Zhang Long, chieftain of Shun’an Dong, occupied the land, and became the first-generation Tusi of Shun’an Zhou.” To demonstrate loyalty to the Ming court, Chen Yongfu sent tribute to the capital that year, including horses, glutinous rice, sandalwood, and yellow wax. From the 10th year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty (1412 AD), when Chen Yongfu, the first-generation Tusi of Guishun Zhou, began the tributes, until the 7th year of the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty (1729 AD), when the 13th-generation Tusi of Guishun Zhou, Chen Zuozuo, was dismissed from hereditary rule and replaced with an appointed official, the Guishun Chen-family Tusi ruled for 13 generations, 16 chieftains, spanning 318 years. Throughout this period, successive chieftains generally followed the imperial regulation of tribute every three years, offering items such as dwarf horses, fragrant sticky rice, sandalwood, and yellow wax.

　　 Specialty Honors: Owing to its fame, central and regional authorities have repeatedly transported Jingxi Fragrant Sticky Rice to serve foreign guests over the past 30 years. In 1972, when U.S. President Richard Nixon visited China, relevant departments specially flew Jingxi Fragrant Sticky Rice from Nanning to Beijing for the reception. Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka and other international dignitaries who have tasted Jingxi Fragrant Sticky Rice have spoken highly of it.