Shiping Yangmei (Bayberries)

Shiping Yangmei

Shiping Bayberries are a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Shiping County began cultivating large bayberries in 1985. After years of trials and exploration, the fruit was certified in 1993 by relevant provincial and prefectural experts, earning praise for its excellent quality, pleasant taste, juicy flesh, small seeds, vibrant color, and well-balanced sweet-and-sour flavor. That same year, multi-site promotion and introduction of the crop were carried out across the county. The large bayberry has become one of the indispensable fruit varieties in Shiping that no other fruit can replace. Initially introduced from Zhejiang, the large bayberries thrived in Shiping thanks to its proximity to the Tropic of Cancer, beautiful natural environment, and pleasant climate. The local soil and climatic conditions are ideal for bayberry growth, yielding large fruits with a sweet taste and slight tang—extremely delicious and widely loved. During the bayberry harvest season every May, visitors from Kunming, Yuxi, and other areas flock to Shiping to see and taste them. The bayberries of Shiping are mainly sold fresh, with secondary products including deep-processed items such as bayberry dry red wine and bayberry fruit wine. In addition, processing of bayberry juice and bayberry vinegar is currently under development and testing.

　　In recent years, with continuous improvements in transportation, the drive from provincial capital Kunming to Shiping takes only about four hours, gradually making this small city a great destination for vacation and leisure. Along the way, you’ll enjoy lush mountains, clear waters, birdsong, and floral scents. In the peak of summer, driving through this scenery brings a refreshing sense of returning to nature. But even more alluring are the vast hills and orchards blanketed with large bayberries—dark red and glistening like rubies on the plateau. May belongs to the bayberries in Shiping. The county’s rolling hills burst with their tempting fragrance, and the bright red bayberries attract streams of eager tourists.

　　Shiping Yangmei

　　Geographic Scope

　　Shiping County is located in southern Yunnan Province, in the western part of the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture. Its geographical coordinates are 102°08′00″ to 102°43′00″ east longitude and 23°19′00″ to 24°06′00″ north latitude. The county covers a total area of 3,037 square kilometers, with a maximum east-west span of 59 kilometers and a maximum north-south span of 88 kilometers. The production area for Shiping bayberries includes six townships: Yilong, Baoxiu, Baxin, Longpeng, Daqiao, and Xincheng.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External sensory characteristics: Shiping bayberries are medium in size, irregularly round or slightly flattened spherical when mature, with an average single fruit weight of 10 grams and a maximum of 16 grams. The fruit surface is a purplish-red hue, slightly convex at the top, flat at the base, with noticeable sutures and a small stem. The flesh is fine-textured, soft, and moderately sweet and sour, with inner flesh that is red or light red, juicy, aromatic, and containing small seeds. (2) Internal quality indicators: Shiping bayberries ripen early, are resistant to storage and transport, and are highly nutritious. The fruit is high in sugar and rich in various vitamins. Specifically, soluble solids ≥10.5%, total sugar ≥9.5%, titratable acid ≥0.7%, vitamin C content ≥5.0 mg per 100 grams of juice, and potassium content ≥1,500 mg per kilogram of juice. (3) Safety requirements: Compliance is in accordance with the standards specified in GB2762, GB2763, and GB10650.