Fragrant Valley Rice

Fragrant Valley Rice

　　Fragrant Valley Rice, also known as Old Red Rice, is one of the specialties of Ningqiang County, renowned for its fragrant and delicious taste. It is produced in Xigou Village, Huangbayi Township, Ningqiang County. The village is located right next to the Sichuan-Shaanxi Highway, backed by mountains, with a small river running through the valley. Both sides of the river are fertile paddy fields, and the mild and humid climate all year round provides an ideal environment and conditions for rice cultivation.

　　The uniqueness of Fragrant Valley Rice lies in both its premium variety and the special water used for irrigation. The water comes from a cave at the foot of the mountain, locally known as Dragon Cave Water. Strangely enough, even if it is the same premium variety of Fragrant Valley Rice, when planted in fields not irrigated by Dragon Cave Water, the rice will mutate and lose its inherent fragrance.

　　According to elders, during Emperor Qianlong’s private tour to the southwest, he passed through this area and heard about this type of rice. After trying it and finding it delicious, he ordered that it be sent as an annual tribute. As a result, the reputation and value of Fragrant Valley Rice soared, making it highly sought after and often in short supply. Later generations of officials, merchants, and the wealthy sought it eagerly, often paying high prices. This was one reason why the rice became scarce, but the main reason was the limited supply of Dragon Cave Water, which could typically irrigate only thirty to forty acres, resulting in low yields. Given its exceptional quality, local farmers naturally treasure it. After harvest, they are reluctant to eat it themselves and instead store it, sell it at high prices, or give it as valuable gifts.

　　Northern Shaanxi is located on the Loess Plateau. Due to its geographic environment and climate, crops here are planted only once a year, resulting in a long growth cycle and rich nutrient content. As a result, the Fragrant Valley Rice produced here is of the highest quality. The same variety may differ in quality and taste simply due to differences in geographic and climatic conditions. In the early years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, red rice, pumpkin soup, millet, and rifles helped the Chinese Communist Party achieve victory and establish the new China. In those impoverished times, when nutrition was scarce, having millet to eat was already considered a luxury. Today, in northern Shaanxi and especially in Yan'an, Fragrant Valley Rice is a staple. After giving birth, women in the region typically drink porridge made from Fragrant Valley Rice — locally called "rice soup." When this rice soup is left to sit in a container for a while, a thin layer of "rice oil" forms on the surface, resembling a delicate pancake. In northern households, millet porridge is a daily essential. In the morning, while steaming mantou (steamed buns), millet soup is often simmered beneath. This truly shows how the land and environment shape the people who live there. Because so many people use and enjoy it, nowadays not only people in Yan’an consume Fragrant Valley Rice, but also many nearby provinces and even people across the country have come to love this millet. Coupled with factors such as China’s policy of returning farmland to forest, the price of Fragrant Valley Rice has been rising steadily.

　　Therefore, Fragrant Valley Rice is not just a brand — it is a product of the local environment, geography, and climate that shape its unique quality.