Ansai Millet

Ansai Millet

Ansai Millet is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Ansai Millet, a specialty of Ansai County in Shaanxi Province, is a China National Geographic Indication product. This millet has long enjoyed a stellar reputation; it was widely cultivated during the military farming periods of the Pre-Qin and Western Han dynasties. The Ansai millet from Yan'an is known for its high quality and rich protein content. It features a golden hue, round and glossy grains that are shiny and translucent, sticky and fragrant, with a rich oiliness, and remains unchanged over time. On average, it contains 13% protein, including all eight essential amino acids needed by the human body. It also averages 4.5% fat, with unsaturated fatty acids making up 85% of the total fat content, along with various vitamins. Among the main grain crops, it has the lowest content of crude fiber. In 2008, after review by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, it was decided to grant national geographical indication product protection to Ansai Millet.

　　　The millet of Yan’an’s Ansai County has long been well-known. It was extensively cultivated during the military farming periods of the Pre-Qin and Western Han dynasties, with key farming settlements such as Baojiaying, Tanjiaying, Dongying, and Fengjiaying. During the Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan dynasties, agricultural and pastoral practices coexisted intermittently—sometimes farming, sometimes herding—limiting agricultural development, yet millet remained a staple crop among local farmers and herders. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, agriculture flourished again alongside pastoralism, leading to comprehensive development in farming. Millet cultivation not only expanded in area but also diversified in variety. According to the Annals of Ansai County from the Republican era: “Ansai is particularly suitable for millet cultivation, surpassing other districts. Its rice, when washed, yields an oily juice. Varieties include Dragon Claw, Wolf Tail, Pig Manure, Bamboo Leaf Green, Horse Tether, Scorched Mud Yellow, Big Deadline, Small Deadline, and Red Small Grain.” After the liberation of Ansai in 1935, during the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region period, the Great Production Movement was launched, encouraging land reclamation. “Millet plus rifles” helped overcome economic hardships, contributing to the great victories of the War of Resistance Against Japan and the Liberation War. As the nation was liberated, millet gained fame across the country. After liberation, the planting area of millet has remained stable at around 100,000 mu, with continuous improvements in cultivation techniques and increasing yields per unit area. Yield per mu rose from 25 kg in 1949 to 300 kg in 2010, while total output increased from 3.18 million kg in 1949 to over 8 million kg in 2010.

　　Quality Characteristics

　　　　The millet of Yan’an’s Ansai County is of high quality and rich in protein. According to analysis by the Crop Germplasm Resources Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the average protein content of Ansai millet is 13.46%, one percentage point higher than the national average (12.4%). Of the 12 varieties in China with protein content exceeding 16%, five come from Ansai. Ansai Millet features a golden hue, round and glossy grains that are shiny and translucent, sticky and fragrant, with a rich oiliness, and remains unchanged over time. On average, it contains 13% protein, including all eight essential amino acids needed by the human body. It also averages 4.5% fat, with unsaturated fatty acids making up 85% of the total fat content, along with various vitamins. Among the main grain crops, it has the lowest content of crude fiber. In the 1980s, the variety Jin Fen 7, introduced from Shanxi and hailed as “Fragrant Millet,” was planted in Ansai. Its quality turned out to be exceptionally good—superior even to its place of origin—and comparable to traditional premium rice varieties.

　　Geographical Indication Product Protection

　　Protected Area

　　　　The protected area for Ansai Millet as a geographical indication product is defined according to the scope proposed in the “Letter on Defining the Source Region of Ansai Millet Raw Materials” (Yan Zheng Han [2005] No. 54) issued by the People’s Government of Yan’an City, Shaanxi Province, covering the entire administrative region of Ansai County in Shaanxi Province.