Pingle Chestnut Wine

Pingle Chestnut Wine

　　Chestnut wine is one of Pingle’s renowned local specialties. Pingle is abundant in chestnuts, which are well-known both domestically and internationally for their uniform shape, thin and easily removable shells, vibrant color, sweet taste, and sticky texture—making them a prized local product of Guilin, Guangxi. Chestnuts can be enjoyed sugar-roasted, raw, steamed, or boiled, and are also used to make delicate pastries or processed into a variety of foods. Meanwhile, the exquisite chestnut wine made from these chestnuts not only boasts a unique flavor but also offers distinctive health benefits.

　　Chestnuts are a versatile medicinal plant. According to ancient herbal texts such as *Compendium of Materia Medica* and *Prescriptions Worth a Thousand Gold*, chestnuts are sweet in taste and warm in nature, benefiting the spleen, stomach, and kidney meridians. They are known to nourish the stomach, strengthen the spleen, tonify the kidneys, fortify the tendons, and invigorate blood circulation. The Song Dynasty literary figure Su Zhe, when summarizing the secret to his longevity, wrote a poem: “In old age, my waist and legs grow weak; the mountain elder’s chestnut remedy is an old tradition. When guests arrive, I tell them how I rise early and drink late, slowly swallowing three mouthfuls of this white jade nectar.” After reading this poem, Li Shizhen remarked with deep admiration: “This captures the secret to eating chestnuts.” It is evident that chestnuts are a veritable “elixir” for the elderly to extend their lifespan.

　　Pingle Chestnut Wine was honored as the “Designated Chestnut Puree Wine at the 2013 China-ASEAN Expo”; its raw material, “fresh chestnut meat,” won the title of “Guilin Ingredient at the 2013 Second Guilin Food Competition.”