GuLu Prickly Ash

GuLu Prickly Ash

GuLu Prickly Ash is a product certified with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　GuLu, located in Tuanjie Subdistrict Office, Xishan District, Kunming City, is the area with the highest forest coverage in Kunming. The mountainous region of GuLu is one of the main areas where Yunnan prickly ash is distributed. Since ancient times, the area has been abundant in prickly ash, which has long been used as a food seasoning by the various ethnic groups in GuLu. With a long history of cultivation, its planting and growing conditions are recorded in Volume Six (Economic Forests) of the Xishan District Annals: before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, prickly ash was introduced as an economic crop by local people; both the GuLu Yi and Bai Ethnic Township Annals and the Xishan District Forestry Annals (1996 edition) also document this. GuLu prickly ash has a numbing flavor with a fragrant aroma, and prickly ash leaf cakes are known for their refreshing fragrance — they are a traditional delicacy in Kunming. The cries of Yi women selling “prickly ash leaves” have echoed through the streets of Kunming for over a hundred years. A popular local saying goes: “Xiangyun chilies, Midu garlic, GuLu prickly ash, and Longtan sauce.” GuLu prickly ash is harvested from high-altitude mountainous regions, is pollution-free, and features large, plump grains with high oil content. The refined prickly ash oil is highly favored by consumers. Currently, the planting area of prickly ash in the GuLu production region covers 1,506 hectares, with an annual output of 1,200 tons. GuLu prickly ash products have been exhibited at several consecutive Kunming International Agricultural Expos and the "Thousand Cooperatives, Thousand Products, Enriching Farmers Project" trade fair convened by the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives in Zhengzhou, Henan. They have received high praise from customers. The main products, GuLu dried prickly ash and GuLu prickly ash oil, have become well-known agricultural brands in Xishan District and even in Kunming City. Both the Yunnan Science and Technology News and the China Cooperative Times have reported on them. The prickly ash industry is gradually becoming a new highlight in the economic development of the impoverished mountainous areas of Xishan District and a pillar industry following tobacco cultivation.

　　The GuLu area of Tuanjie Subdistrict has an average altitude of 2,195 meters, suitable for the growth of prickly ash. The cultivation of GuLu prickly ash has a 200-year history and is characterized by large grains, strong numbing aroma, and being pollution-free. In the past, the scale of prickly ash cultivation by local farmers in GuLu was small, and yields were low. Yang Jinlian, a resident of Banianjiao Village in Duomu Community, was one such farmer, with only a few prickly ash trees that were only enough for her own household use. In 2005, Xishan District established the GuLu Prickly Ash Professional Cooperative, integrating planting, production, processing, and sales of prickly ash. The situation changed dramatically thereafter. The “company + farmer + professional cooperative” operational model completely resolved the sales issues faced by the villagers.

　　Today, there are nearly 2,000 households growing GuLu prickly ash, with a total planting area of 8,000 mu. The largest households cultivate over 30 mu, and the average net income per mu is close to 1,000 yuan. This year alone, the Xishan District GuLu Prickly Ash Professional Cooperative has purchased around 30 tons of fresh prickly ash, produced 15 tons of deep-processed prickly ash oil, and packaged over 2,000 gift boxes of branded GuLu prickly ash products. The output value has increased nearly fourfold. In addition to meeting the demands of the Yunnan market, the products are also sold to Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, and other regions.

　　Due to the unique climate and ecological environment, farmers in GuLu, Tuanjie Subdistrict Office, Xishan District, have a long tradition of cultivating prickly ash. Coupled with the large grain size, strong numbing aroma, and pollution-free characteristics of the locally produced prickly ash, GuLu prickly ash has earned a modest reputation. However, for a long time, the scale of cultivation was small, and yields were low. Since the establishment of the GuLu Prickly Ash Professional Cooperative in 2005, which integrates planting, production, processing, and sales, and adopts the “company + farmer + professional cooperative” operational model, the planting area has expanded year by year. Currently, there are nearly 2,000 households growing GuLu prickly ash, with a total planting area of 8,000 mu. The largest individual planting households cultivate up to 30 mu, with an average net income per mu of nearly 1,000 yuan. This year alone, the Xishan District GuLu Prickly Ash Professional Cooperative has purchased nearly 30 tons of fresh prickly ash, produced 15 tons of deep-processed prickly ash oil, and packaged over 2,000 gift boxes of branded GuLu prickly ash products. The output value has nearly quadrupled. In addition to meeting the demands of the Yunnan market, the products are also sold to Guizhou, Sichuan, Chongqing, and other regions, where they are in high demand and short supply.

　　According to Jin Pingyou, chairman of the GuLu Prickly Ash Professional Cooperative, to protect the “GuLu Prickly Ash” brand, Xishan District has applied for national geographical indication status for agricultural products. The planned annual planting area will reach 1,506 hectares, truly establishing GuLu prickly ash as a well-known brand that helps mountain farmers increase their income and achieve prosperity.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The main production area of GuLu Prickly Ash is located in Tuanjie Subdistrict Office, Xishan District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, situated in the northwest part of the Kunming faulted lake basin on the central Yunnan Plateau. Its geographic coordinates are between 102°25′28″–102°36′45″ east longitude and 24°59′36″–25°10′24″ north latitude, spanning a maximum east-west distance of 22 kilometers and a maximum north-south distance of 23 kilometers. The production area of GuLu Prickly Ash includes fifteen neighborhood committees: Duomu, Tuopai, GuLu, Lüze, Lemu, Caijia, Tuoji, Daxing, Xiachong, Yongjing, Yuhua, Heping, Qitai, Baimei, and Longtan. The total planting area is 1,506 hectares, with an annual output of 1,200 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　(1) External Sensory Characteristics: GuLu prickly ash trees are deciduous shrubs or small trees, about 3 meters tall, mainly with an open-center tree shape. The trunks are thorny, and the leaves are small with distinct serrations. GuLu prickly ash is characterized by large grains, bright reddish color, strong flavor, glossy appearance, dense and prominent oil glands, thick flesh, and “double ears” at the stem end, with a rich fragrant aroma and numbing taste. The dried fruit is purplish-red, with uniformly sized grains, open eyes, and a strong, lingering numbing aroma. (2) Internal Quality Indicators: GuLu prickly ash is an essential spicy condiment in daily life, rich in nutrients. It contains ≥6.5% protein, ≥2.0% volatile oil, and ≥7.5mg/g total amide substances. (3) Safety Requirements: GuLu prickly ash strictly adheres to the NY/5323-2006 standard for Pollution-Free Food Spices.