Guanzhuang Grass Carp

Guanzhuang Grass Carp

Guanzhuang Grass Carp is a product certified with a Geographical Indication for Agricultural Products.

　　Historically, Guanzhuang Town was under the jurisdiction of Bobai County in Guangxi and was anciently known as Shitishan. During the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, it was also called Nei’anding Fort, and it was not until August 1953 that it became part of Pubei County, where it remains today. It is the main birthplace of the small-pool stream fish farming technique in Pubei. As early as the Qing Dynasty, local residents in Guanzhuang began digging pools along streams and stocking grass carp fingerlings, famously known for “raising big fish in small pools.” Guanzhuang Grass Carp is named after being mainly produced in Guanzhuang Town through this specific stream fish farming method. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the farming area of Guanzhuang Grass Carp continued to expand, and production increased steadily. By the mid-1980s, Guanzhuang Grass Carp farming had become an advanced model for freshwater aquaculture in Guangxi. The book *The History of the Development of Freshwater Aquaculture Technology in China*, published by China Science and Technology Press in August 1991, listed Pubei County as one of the 12 counties in Guangxi practicing stream fish farming. Since the 21st century, Pubei County has further intensified efforts in developing Guanzhuang Grass Carp farming. Not only has it been designated as one of the county’s signature agricultural industries, but long-term development plans have also been established for it.

　　Guanzhuang Grass Carp has an elongated body, slightly cylindrical in the front and slightly laterally compressed at the rear. It is large in size with big scales. Its sides are grass yellow, the back is bluish-gray, and the belly is grayish-white, giving it a vivid coloration. The flesh is glossy and smooth, firm and elastic to the touch. The meat is tender yet resilient, free from muddy or earthy flavors, delicious, and pleasant in texture.

　　According to tests by the Guangxi Analysis and Testing Research Center, Guanzhuang Grass Carp is rich in various vitamins, unsaturated fatty acids, and essential amino acids required by the human body. Specifically, it contains 13.9 μg/100g of vitamin A, 3.01 μg/100g of vitamin D, and 2.22 mg/100g of vitamin E. Among amino acids, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, lysine, and leucine are present in relatively high amounts — 2.55%, 1.71%, 1.57%, and 1.36% respectively. Sampling tests conducted by the authorized testing agency for Geographical Indication of Agricultural Products — the Fishery Product Quality Supervision, Inspection and Testing Center of the Ministry of Agriculture (Nanning) — show that every 100 grams of fresh Guanzhuang Grass Carp contains no less than 18.3g of protein, no more than 2.2g of fat, no less than 25.4mg of calcium, no less than 0.412mg of zinc, and no less than 0.5mg of iron.

　　The production area of Guanzhuang Grass Carp includes 56 administrative villages across six contiguous towns in Pubei County: Guanzhuang Town, Liukeng Town, Pingmu Town, Zhaidu Town, Fuwang Town, and Xiaojiang Town. The main production areas are Guanzhuang Town, Liukeng Town, and Pingmu Town. The geographical coordinates are between 109°32′–109°51′ east longitude and 21°18′–22°34′ north latitude. The specific region spans from Liangcun, Fuzu, and Liufeng villages in Pingmu Town, and Baihua, Guanbang, and Xinpo villages in Liukeng Town in the east; to Beilan, Poxin, and Zhenjiao villages in Fuwang Town, and Renwang and Qiuxiang villages in Zhaidu Town in the west; from Ping’an and Xintang villages in Pingmu Town, Yuexiang Village in Guanzhuang Town, and Limu, Fengping, and Sucun villages in Xiaojiang Town in the south; to Pengshan and Pingcun villages in Zhaidu Town, and Menlou, Daneng, and Liuxiu villages in Liukeng Town in the north. The total farming area of Guanzhuang Grass Carp is 330 hectares, with an annual output of 4,800 tons of fish.