Luchuan Tangerine Peel

Luchuan Tangerine Peel

Luchuan tangerine peel is a product certified with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Luchuan tangerine (mandarin) peel is among the first group of items officially recognized by China’s Ministry of Health as both food and medicine. Its floral and fruit fuzz is soft and lush, exuding a fragrant and refreshing aroma, making it an excellent tonic for health and longevity.

　　Tangerine peel is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, known as the “ginseng of the south,” and there’s even a folk saying: “A slice of tangerine peel is a slice of gold.” The soil in the southern part of Luchuan County contains mica, making it suitable for growing tangerine peel.

　　One of China’s rare and renowned food-medicine dual-use treasures—tangerine (mandarin) peel—is among the first group of items officially recognized by China’s Ministry of Health as both food and medicine. It is mainly produced in the border area of Guangxi and Guangdong provinces (Qinghu Town, Luchuan, Guangxi), where it absorbs the mineral elements of mica and magnesium from the local soil. Its floral and fruit fuzz is soft and lush, exuding a fragrant and refreshing aroma, making it an excellent tonic for health and longevity.

　　The county has established demonstration bases to promote tangerine peel cultivation across vast areas, boosting farmers’ incomes. The county plans to develop a contiguous tangerine peel plantation centered around Shidong Village in Liangtian Town, creating a demonstration zone spanning Shidong Village in Liangtian Town, Ping’an Village in Qinghu Town, and Bajiao Village in Gucheng Town, covering ten thousand mu. Seven towns—Gucheng, Qinghu, Tanmian, Wushi, Daqiao, Hengshan, and Liangtian—have become key areas for tangerine peel cultivation.

　　In recent years, Luchuan County in Guangxi has seized the opportunity of accelerating the construction of the Mapan Hundred-Mile Green Ecological Agricultural Economic Demonstration Corridor and establishing itself as a model green ecological agriculture county in Guangxi to vigorously develop tangerine peel planting. The goal is to cultivate over 80,000 mu of tangerine peel by 2016, positioning Luchuan as the “Hometown of Tangerine Peel in China.”

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected production area for Luchuan tangerine peel with geographical indication status includes 14 towns under Luchuan County’s jurisdiction: Shanluo Town, Pingle Town, Mapo Town, Michang Town, Shahu Town, Shapo Town, Wenquan Town, Daqiao Town, Hengshan Town, Wushi Town, Tanmian Town, Liangtian Town, Qinghu Town, and Gucheng Town, encompassing a total of 154 administrative villages. The protected area lies between 110°04′ to 110°25′ east longitude and 21°53′ to 22°38′ north latitude, stretching 105 km from north to south and 32 km from east to west, covering a protected area of 5,333 hectares with an annual output of 32,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Luchuan tangerine peel fruits are spherical to flat-round, with yellow-green or greenish rinds covered with dense fuzz. The fruit apex is flat with a slight central depression and visible or less visible radiating grooves. There are 3–4 calyx lobes at the fruit base, and the fruit shoulders are sloped or flat. The mesocarp is thick and white, with a small central column. It has a delicate fragrance, with a mildly bitter and slightly pungent taste. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Total flavonoid content is ≥7%, including naringin content of ≥5.5%. 3. Safety Requirements: Product quality must comply with Guangxi’s local food safety standard for substitute and flavored teas (DBS45/006—2013). The use of unregistered or nationally banned agricultural inputs is prohibited. Standardized production practices are enforced to ensure the safety and quality of Luchuan tangerine peel.