Yongping Boiled Walnuts

Yongping Boiled Walnuts

　　Yongping boiled walnuts are a specialty of Yongping County in Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province. These walnuts are highly favored by domestic and international merchants for their large size, thin shells, white kernels, and superior quality.

　　Yongping has abundant mountain resources and naturally favorable environmental and climatic conditions for walnut cultivation. Walnuts are grown across all 73 village committees (communities) in the county, with 56 villages being particularly suitable for growing boiled walnuts. Walnut seedlings are cultivated in all townships, with Shengquan Village in Bonan Town having the highest quantity and best quality, typically producing nearly 600 acres per year.

　　Walnuts produced in Yongping County are known for their large size, thin shells, white kernels, fragrant taste, high oil content, and rich nutrition. They are a traditional delicacy, perfect for gifting to family and friends or for home consumption. They also have medicinal properties, helping to nourish yin, moisten lungs, and relieve coughs and phlegm. Walnut trees are not only ideal for beautifying the countryside and greening the environment but also serve as second-grade furniture timber — durable, lightweight, and featuring beautiful grain and resilient texture.

　　After 1980, with the further implementation of the Party's economic policies in rural areas, the production of walnuts in Yongping saw rapid development. By the end of the “Ninth Five-Year Plan,” the county’s boiled walnut cultivation had reached 200,000 mu. During the “Tenth Five-Year Plan” period, the Yongping County Party Committee and government identified boiled walnuts as the county’s most competitive and advantageous agricultural product. They strengthened leadership, formulated measures, unified planning, optimized layouts, and promoted comprehensive cultivation of boiled walnuts in suitable areas at elevations between 1,600 and 2,400 meters.

　　By 2010, the total walnut-growing area in the county had reached 1.3 million mu, with a yield of 16,000 tons. The output value hit 400.68 million yuan (according to a joint survey by the Dali Prefecture Forestry Bureau, Dali Prefecture Bureau of Statistics, and the Dali Branch of the Yunnan Academy of Forestry Survey, Planning and Design, Yongping County’s walnut production in 2010 actually reached 34,200 tons, with an output value of 1.122 billion yuan).

　　In 2006, Yongping County was designated as a “Key County for High-Quality Walnut Production Bases in China” by the Organizing Committee of the China High-Quality Fruit Base and Advanced Fruit Industry Awards. In 2009, Yongping boiled walnuts were honored as one of the “Top Ten Famous and High-Quality Walnuts in China” by the Organizing Committee of the China Fruits and Vegetables Industry Brand Forum. In 2010, Yongping County was awarded the title “Hometown of Walnuts in China” by the same forum’s organizing committee.