Extended Prickly Ash

Extended Prickly Ash

　　Extended Prickly Ash is a specialty of Yanchang County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. The communities along the Yellow River in Yanchang have long had the habit of planting prickly ash. The prickly ash produced in Xiapo Village, Nanhegou Township, has been registered under the "Shangpo" brand. It is large in size, brightly colored, and rich in flavor, and is popular in cities such as Yan'an and Xi’an.

　　Prickly ash is one of the key industries developed in Yanchang and also an important source of income for farmers in many areas. In the past, the cultivation of prickly ash in Yanchang County was mainly scattered. Since the implementation of the Grain for Green Program, large-scale planting began in 1999 and 2000. By the end of 2010, the total planting area of prickly ash in the county had reached 81,300 mu.

　　Geographical distribution of prickly ash cultivation: Three townships along the Yellow River—Anhe, Luozishan, and Nanhegou—account for 70%–80% of the total. Among them, Nanhegou Township is the largest producer of prickly ash in the county, accounting for 60% of the total planting area. Within Nanhegou Township, Xiapo Village has the largest and highest-quality cultivation, making up 15% of the county’s total. In 2010, the "Yellow River Prickly Ash" brand was officially registered.