Dali Peanuts

Dali Peanuts

Dali peanuts are a product with geographical indication.

　　Dali peanuts are a long-renowned specialty of Shaanxi Province, with a cultivation history of over 2,100 years. The *Draft Chronicles of Dali County* records: “The sandy fields of Nanyang Shayuan stretch across the Shang Plateau, leaving few low-lying or sandy gaps. With constant sandstorms and weak soil fertility, the land is unsuitable for growing staple grains. In the early Guangxu era, the local magistrate advocated for well-digging, which many villages diligently followed. However, the Shayan area is narrow, windswept, and yields little wheat or millet; instead, it produces golden needles, peanuts, and red sweet potatoes.” During the Republican era, peanut cultivation expanded to the floodplains of the Yellow River, Wei River, and Luo River. By the mid-1970s, Dali promoted “row-sown peanuts,” and planting areas increased year by year. In 1980, the county government designated peanuts as a key cash crop, earning the title “Peanut Production Base County.”

　　“A house with a husk, a red curtain, and a white fat man inside.” This riddle about peanuts vividly and amusingly depicts their appearance.

　　Dali peanuts are a long-renowned specialty of Shaanxi Province, primarily produced in the Dali County area of the eastern Guanzhong Plain. The *Draft Chronicles of Dali County* records: “The sandy fields of Nanyang Shayuan stretch across the Shang Plateau, leaving few low-lying or sandy gaps. With constant sandstorms and weak soil fertility, the land is unsuitable for growing staple grains. In the early Guangxu era, the local magistrate advocated for well-digging, which many villages diligently followed. However, the Shayan area is narrow, windswept, and yields little wheat or millet; instead, it produces golden needles, peanuts, and red sweet potatoes.” Known for their large pods, plump kernels, snow-white shells, vibrant color, crisp texture, high oil content, rich nutrition, long shelf life, and superior quality, they rival the famous Shandong and Zhengzhou peanuts and are a key domestic and export commodity of Shaanxi.

　　Dali peanuts belong to the legume family (Leguminosae) and are annual herbaceous plants. Their stems are creeping or upright, angular, and covered in fine hairs. Based on stem growth habits, they can be classified as upright or trailing types. They have pinnate compound leaves and axillary racemes with yellow flowers. After pollination, the ovary stalk rapidly elongates and burrows into the soil, where the ovary develops into a pod-like shell underground. The seeds (peanut kernels) come in oblong, oval, or short-round shapes and range in color from light red to red. They thrive in high temperatures and dry conditions but are intolerant to frost, preferring slightly alkaline sandy loam soil. Peanuts are widely cultivated in China, making the country one of the world’s top peanut producers and exporters. Both total peanut cultivation area and yield rank second globally, only behind India. From Heilongjiang in the north to Hainan Island in the south, and from Xinjiang in the west to coastal areas in the east, peanuts are grown across the nation. They are mainly distributed along the lower reaches of the Yellow River, with Shandong Province producing the most—over 35% of the national total—and ranking first nationwide. The main types of peanuts in China include: common, multigrain, pearl bean, and wasp-waist varieties.

　　Why Are Dali Peanuts Famous? Dali peanuts are primarily grown in Shayuan, about ten kilometers south of the county seat. This vast sandy area features flat terrain, loose and well-aerated soil that is easy to till, fostering peanut root development, peg penetration, and pod expansion. The region has a warm temperate semi-arid continental climate and is one of the hottest spots in eastern Guanzhong, earning it the title of one of Shaanxi’s “two major furnaces.” The area has an average annual temperature of 14°C, an extreme maximum temperature of 42.8°C, accumulated temperatures above 0°C totaling 4,445.6°C, a frost-free period of 212 days, annual sunshine duration of 2,385.2 hours (50% sunshine rate), and annual solar radiation of 125.8 kcal/cm². In terms of thermal resources, both spring and double-crop peanuts can meet normal growth needs. Annual precipitation is 514 mm, and underground water resources are abundant, shallow, and of good quality, facilitating well irrigation. Additionally, the Wei River and Luo River flow along the north and south, while the Wei-Hui and Luo-Hui canals provide excellent gravity-fed irrigation, meeting peanuts’ moisture requirements. These natural advantages make Dali ideal for peanut production. The locals have long-standing peanut-growing traditions, with extensive expertise and experience. Peanuts are Dali’s second-most important cash crop after cotton and a major peanut-producing region in the province. In recent years, with the growth of rural commodity economies, peanut cultivation has expanded rapidly, covering over 200,000 mu (13,333+ hectares) and yielding 35–40 million kg annually, accounting for over 25% of Shaanxi’s peanut planting area and output. These peanuts are popular across Northwest and Northeast China and are highly sought-after for export.

　　Peanuts have become a flagship product of Dali County and a primary source of income for local farmers. Vigorously developing Dali peanuts benefits both the nation and its people.

　　Regional Scope

　　Dali County’s peanut production area is located in eastern Guanzhong, spanning longitude 109°43′–110°09′ and latitude 34°36′–34°80′. It mainly covers six towns: Guanchi, Weilin, Zhaoyi, Qiangbai, Xiazhai, and Sucun. The total production area is 200,000 mu, with an annual output of 35,000 tons, accounting for over 25% of Shaanxi’s peanut planting area and yield.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Traits: Dali peanuts feature large pods, plump kernels, snow-white shells, deep reticulations, uniform shape, high full-seed rates, and vibrant color. 2. Unique Internal Quality Indicators: Dali peanuts are rich in protein, fat, oleic acid, and linoleic acid, with protein content of 24%–36%, fat content of 44%–54%, oleic acid at 46.5%–52.3%, and linoleic acid at 27.5%–34.32%. 3. Safety Standards: Dali peanut production strictly adheres to the NY 5303-2005 *Pollution-Free Food Peanuts* standards.