Sunjiawan Toon

Sunjiawan Toon

Sunjiawan Toon is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　In Xinzhou City, there’s probably only one village that has become famous throughout the city and even renowned across the province for its local specialty.

　　When you walk into Sunjiawan Village, you’ll see that in every street, alley, and courtyard of every household, there grows a tree species rarely seen across the city—toon trees.

　　Sunjiawan Village, with a population of more than 800, is situated in the northwest corner of Hesuo Township, Xinfu District, Xinzhou City. The village sits against a mountain, facing south, sheltered from the wind and warmed by the sun. The village has 1,600 mu of arable land, half flat and half sloped. Though the land is limited and the population is relatively large, the crops are protected from both drought and waterlogging. Just from toon trees alone, the village earns an annual income of over 200,000 yuan, increasing the per capita income by about 300 yuan.

　　There are approximately four thousand mature toon trees in Sunjiawan. The income from toon trees every year is also the most significant and stable source of revenue for the village. Around May Day, just when farmers have just finished planting their fields and finally get a rare moment of rest, it is actually the busiest time for Sunjiawan Village—because the toon trees have matured. Every man, woman, child, young and old in the village is busy with toon-related tasks, working around the toon trees from morning till night: adult men climb the trees, holding long pruning poles, carefully snipping off branches one by one; while the elderly, weak, women, and children gather beneath the trees, collecting the cut branches one by one. After picking, they sort them into bundles and weigh them, then wait for sale.

　　Toon is a delicate crop, somewhat like the ginseng fruit in *Journey to the West*—it grows quickly upon exposure to wind, turns green in sunlight, has a short harvest season, and becomes overripe if not picked in time. It also wilts shortly after falling to the ground. The “fragrance” of toon lies entirely in its tender, red, fuzzy shoots. Therefore, the villagers of Sunjiawan must handle toon both laboriously and in a timely manner: as soon as the tender toon buds emerge, they must be quickly picked from the trees, otherwise the buds will grow into hard central stalks, reducing their value; the best time to prune toon is early in the morning or late in the evening when the sun isn’t out, otherwise the red, tender, fuzzy toon will turn into flavorless “green vegetables”; once picked, toon must be processed and sold immediately—buyers should purchase on the spot, and gifts should be sent the very same day.

　　Toon is a tree-grown crop, and once one batch is cut, a new one grows from the cut. Logically, the yield of toon trees should be abundant, but in reality, it’s not—the first batch of toon is incredibly flavorful, but the second batch lacks taste. Therefore, Sunjiawan never harvests a second batch. As a result, the toon yield is small, which makes it all the more precious. More importantly, toon trees are quite peculiar—they don’t thrive if not pruned, but over-pruning doesn’t help either. To prune a toon bud, you must also break off the “head” for normal growth. This has led to a local myth in Sunjiawan that the Jade Emperor once issued an edict for toon to be “beheaded”—but that’s a story for another time. In any case, a normally sized toon tree typically yields around 40 to 50 pounds.

　　Toon trees have existed since ancient times, and toon leaves have always been a premium delicacy. Although there are no historical records, according to the people of Sunjiawan, the toon from their village was once exclusively supplied as tribute for imperial court banquets. The “fragrance” of toon is a unique kind of fragrance—just how unique? Those who’ve eaten it know, but it’s truly indescribable. You’ll understand once you compare it to the stinky toon tree.

　　Sunjiawan produces a lot of toon, but strangely enough, even neighboring villages have very few toon trees. Even stranger is that toon trees transplanted from Sunjiawan either fail to thrive or produce toon lacking the authentic color, aroma, and flavor of Sunjiawan toon. What’s the reason? Investigations by the author in Sunjiawan yielded varied and inconclusive opinions. Some say it’s due to the unique geographical location—the village is sheltered from the wind and faces the sun, with a unique microclimate. Even in winter, when strong northwest winds blow, the mountains block them, and in Sunjiawan, there’s only a gentle breeze, with tree tops rustling softly but no fierce winds raging through the village, making the autumn and winter seasons relatively warmer. Others attribute it to the soil, though no one has studied what special components might exist in the soil. There are also guesses about the water quality. Or perhaps it’s a combination of these factors. Whatever the case, there is indeed one piece of evidence supporting these theories: even within Sunjiawan Village, toon trees don’t grow well everywhere, and the toon produced isn’t uniformly plump and fragrant from every tree. Only a narrow strip of land stretching from west to east through the center of the village yields large quantities of plump toon buds. Moreover, toon trees are clumping plants without seeds. In this long stretch of land, every spring, new toon sprouts pop up vigorously in every household courtyard, growing wildly and sprawling all over the place. Some even break through cracks in the foundation under the eaves, forcing villagers to uproot them. Beyond this area, the growth, yield, and quality of toon trees are far less vigorous. So, despite years of efforts by the Sunjiawan Village Party Branch and Village Committee to expand production and boost the “toon economy,” toon proves too delicate and uncooperative—it simply can’t adapt to other soils. Left with no choice, villagers even tried buying toon seeds from elsewhere and growing toon in greenhouses, but the resulting toon, not being genuine “Sunjiawan toon,” could never compare to the authentic, locally grown variety.

　　In fact, many villages in Xinzhou City also produce toon. When toon from other villages hits the market, it sells fairly well in the city, with decent prices. But Sunjiawan toon sells out almost before it even leaves the village, and every year it’s in short supply, with prices at least double—or more—than the market rate. Freshly harvested toon won’t sell for less than 20 yuan per jin, and even at the end of the season, the price won’t drop below 5 yuan per jin. Many people are willing to go out of their way and pay high prices just to buy Sunjiawan toon. Many buy it not for personal consumption, but as a rare gift for influential people. People generally agree that Sunjiawan toon is simply better and more fragrant. Why is Sunjiawan toon so fragrant? One thing is certain: Sunjiawan toon hits the market at least ten days later than toon from other areas. While toon from other villages is harvested early, Sunjiawan toon only shows a tiny red sprout, like a pampered young lady kept in seclusion—its longer growth period naturally results in greater fragrance.

　　Toon has another valuable aspect—its wood is premium timber. Not only does it have moderate hardness, but it also features beautiful grain. Even more rare is the fact that toon bark can be used medicinally, primarily for detoxification and insect repellent. Furniture made from toon wood is not only attractive and practical but also resistant to insects, with a faint, pleasant fragrance. In the past, Sunjiawan Village produced a number of skilled carpenters, partly because the village was also known for making toon wood bellows. Toon wood is durable and doesn’t deform, making it the best material for bellows. And the quality of bellows is the ultimate measure of a carpenter’s skill, as the most important aspect of a bellows is its airtightness, requiring the carpenter to have exceptional “seaming” skills.

　　This craft has gradually been lost, partly because people no longer use bellows for cooking, and partly because, as living standards rise and market prices increase, the villagers of Sunjiawan are too busy “attending” to their toon trees to even consider cutting them down!

　　This article is excerpted from “Heaven Rewards Diligence.”

　　Shanxi

　　Applicant:

　　Sunjiawan Toon Production Cooperative, Xinfu District, Xinzhou City

　　Region:

　　2013

　　Protected Area

　　The geographical indication protection area for Sunjiawan Toon is located in the northwest corner of Xinfu District. The village sits against a mountain, bordered by mountains to the west, Mijiayao Reservoir to the north, and the Nan Yunzhong River to the east. It lies between 112°19′–112°58′ east longitude and 38°13′–38°41′ north latitude, with an average elevation of 899.8 meters. It is under the jurisdiction of Hesuo Township, Xinfu District. The production base is located in a hilly area, with sloped land mainly used for forestry. Ecological and economic forests thrive here, with good vegetation and a uniquely favorable microclimate. The protected area spans 7,500 hectares, with an annual yield of 420 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　External sensory characteristics: Sunjiawan Toon features thick leaves, tender buds, glossy green color, rich fragrance, green leaves with red edges. Each toon bud resembles an open flower. It is highly nutritious, far surpassing other vegetables. As described by locals, it’s the “red, tender, fuzzy” toon. Internal quality indicators: Sunjiawan Toon not only boasts an appealing color, fragrant taste, and unique quality, but also offers high nutritional value. Unique quality indicators include: protein ≥7.18g/100g, fat ≥0.5g/100g, dietary fiber ≥5.28g/100g, zinc ≥7.3mg/kg. Its iron and calcium content rank highest among vegetables, offering rich nutrition. The origin environment and product quality meet the technical specifications of pollution-free standards (NY5010—2002) and (NY5013—2006).