Shenchi Oats

Shenchi Oats

Shenchi oats are a geographically indicated agricultural product.

　　Oats originated in the high-altitude mountainous regions of North China, and Shenchi County in Shanxi Province may be one of the earliest birthplaces of oats. To this day, Shenchi oats are widely renowned, hence earning the title of the hometown of oats. Around the 9th century BC, oats were introduced from Shanxi to Inner Mongolia and gradually spread across the mountainous, hilly, and some plain areas of northern China. Later, as people's understanding of oats deepened, they were cultivated throughout the country. Eventually, Chinese oats were introduced and grown in countries such as Russia, the United States, and Chile.

　　Shenchi oat grains are spindle-shaped with a ventral groove, measuring 0.8–1.3 cm in length and 0.2–0.4 cm in width. They have a thousand-kernel weight of 31–33.5 g, which is 0.2–0.4 cm longer and 0.1–0.15 cm wider, with a 3–4 g higher thousand-kernel weight compared to the same quality oats grown elsewhere. Shenchi oat grains are yellowish-white, showing a deeper yellow hue than the same variety grown in other regions. The grains are uniform and plump, with a flour extraction rate as high as 97%, compared to up to 95% for oats from other areas. The flour made from Shenchi oats is yellowish-white with a richer yellow tone, higher gluten strength, lower stickiness, better taste, higher water absorption, and greater resistance to cold and hunger.

　　Shenchi Oats

　　Geographic Scope

　　Shenchi County is located in the Loess Plateau of northwest Shanxi, on the northwestern foothills of the Guancen Mountains. It borders Shuozhou City to the east, neighbors Wuzhai County to the west, lies south of the Guancen Mountains separated by Ningwu, and faces Hongtao across the borders of Pianguan County and Pinglu District to the north. Geographic coordinates: 111°42′–112°18′ east longitude, 38°56′–39°24′ north latitude, covering a total area of 1,472 square kilometers. The protected production area for Shenchi oats as a geographically indicated product includes 10 towns within Shenchi County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province: Longquan Town, Yijing Town, Bajiao Town, Donghu Township, Taipingzhuang Township, Hubei Township, Hezhi Township, Liebao Township, Changzhen Township, and Dayanbei Township, encompassing 241 administrative villages. The annual planting area of oats is 9,000 hectares, with a total annual yield of 40,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　Shenchi oats are a type of large naked oat. The grains are spindle-shaped with a ventral groove, measuring 0.8–1.3 cm in length and 0.2–0.4 cm in width. They have a thousand-kernel weight of 31–33.5 g, which is 0.2–0.4 cm longer and 0.1–0.15 cm wider, with a 3–4 g higher thousand-kernel weight compared to the same quality oats grown elsewhere. Shenchi oat grains are yellowish-white, showing a deeper yellow hue than the same variety grown in other regions. The grains are uniform and plump, with a flour extraction rate of over 96%, while oats from other areas have an extraction rate of over 94%. Shenchi oats have a moisture content below 5.02%, protein above 14.9%, fat around 6.8%, starch approximately 41.1%, and total dietary fiber exceeding 13.98%.