Flaxseed (Hu Ma)

Flaxseed (Hu Ma)

　　Flaxseed (Hu Ma)

　　Flaxseed (Hu Ma), the main oil crop in Baode County. It has a short growth period, requires low soil fertility and water conditions, is drought-resistant and cold-resistant, labor-saving, and easy to manage. A farming proverb says: “Sow flaxseed at the Start of Summer, and it will branch into nine stems and eight forks.” Flaxseed is sown at the Start of Summer and harvested at the Limit of Heat, with a growth cycle of only about 90 days. Growing flaxseed is low-cost but high-yield. From sowing to harvesting, it only requires weeding in summer—sometimes even none—and no other management, making it labor-saving, seed-saving, fertilizer-saving, and land-saving (often planted on infertile land by locals), yet highly profitable. As locals say: “Fill up the oil jar, and you won’t have to worry about money.”

　　The scientific name for flaxseed is linseed, an oil-use flax with a cultivation history of 5,000 to 6,000 years worldwide. It originated north of the Yin Mountains in Inner Mongolia, China, where wild flax has been discovered. It was introduced to inland China during the Eastern Han Dynasty, hence the name “Hu Ma” (foreign hemp). In the past, flax was rarely cultivated and considered precious elsewhere. Qing Dynasty official Wang Shou once wrote the line: “When will I be served Hu Ma congee? Let me know how immortal my bones are.” Flaxseeds contain 37–47% fat, with an oil yield between 30–36%. Flaxseed oil produced in Ningwu has many advantages: it doesn’t settle over time, has no off-flavors when consumed raw, produces little smoke when frying, browns food quickly, boasts a fragrant taste, a pure yellow and transparent color, and is high in unsaturated fatty acids, making it nutritionally comprehensive with medicinal value. Regular consumption can help prevent hypertension, arteriosclerosis, obesity, and other diseases, outperforming animal fats or other types of oils. Flaxseed oil has a high iodine value and strong drying properties, and is widely used industrially in making paints and premium inks, as well as in printing banknotes and stamps. Flax also contains linseed gum, an excellent adhesive used extensively in leather-making, medicine, and national defense industries. The flax chaff is used by locals to feed pigs and sheep through winter, while the stalks can be processed into fibers for spinning and weaving. Flaxseed oil can also be exported for high foreign exchange earnings.