Shishe Millet

Shishe Millet

　　Shishe millet is a highly prestigious specialty of Gansu Province, recorded in both provincial and local chronicles. It has been a tribute to the imperial court since the Jiaqing era of the Ming Dynasty. The grains are golden, plump, and uniformly sized, offering high nutritional value. According to analyses by the National Grain Monitoring Center and the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the nutritional components of Shishe millet include: 14%–16% protein, 3%–4.6% fat, 37% soluble starch, 0.12% β-carotene, 0.99% VB, along with 18 essential amino acids for the human body. It also helps lower blood pressure, combat aging, enhance beauty and skin health, prolong life, and offers certain preventive effects against various cancers. The porridge made from Shishe millet boasts an intoxicating aroma, an incredibly sweet and rich taste, and a delightful aftertaste. It is easily digestible, suitable for all ages, and possesses medicinal dietary benefits.

　　Shishe millet has long enjoyed great renown as a famous specialty of Gansu Province, recorded in both provincial and local chronicles. Since the Jiaqing era of the Ming Dynasty, it has been a tribute to the imperial court. The grains are bright yellow, round, plump, and uniformly sized, with relatively high nutritional value. According to analysis by the National Grain Monitoring Center and the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the nutritional indicators of Shishe millet are: 14%–16% protein, 3%–4.6% fat, 37% soluble starch, 0.12% β-carotene, 0.99% VB, as well as 18 essential amino acids for the human body. It also helps lower blood pressure, resist aging, beautify and rejuvenate the skin, prolong life, and provides certain preventive effects against various cancers. The porridge made from Shishe millet has a fragrant aroma that pleases the senses, an incredibly sweet taste, and a memorable aftertaste. It is very easy to digest, suitable for all ages, and has the efficacy of a medicinal diet.

　　Millet Origin: Shishe Township is located about 40 li southeast of Xifeng City, and is famed nationwide for its millet production. Shishe millet is the highest-quality representative variety among the main grains of Qingyang, with its core production area in Shishe Township, Xifeng District, situated in the central-eastern part of Dongzhi Plateau. In Qingyang’s over 6,000-year history of millet cultivation, millet has been widely grown due to its short growth and maturation cycle, drought resistance, and suitability for dry farming. The cultivation of millet on the Dongzhi Plateau dates back thousands of years. In ancient times, millet was referred to as “he” (禾). The Shuowen Jiezi (說文) states: “He is good grain. It begins growing in February and matures in August, thriving in the right season, hence called he.” It is also called ji (稷), later generally referring to cereal crops. Actually, when husked, it is called su (粟), which is what we now call millet. The terrain of Shishe Township slopes from northwest to southeast. In spring, it is less affected by northern winds, enjoys ample sunlight, and the ground warms up quickly. The soil is fertile, and its organic matter content is particularly suitable for millet growth. Although millet yields in Shishe are not high, the quality is excellent. More importantly, its nutritional value surpasses that of millet from other regions. According to analysis by the National Grain Detection Center and the Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the nutritional indicators of Shishe millet include: 0.12% [beta-carotene], 0.99% VB, and 18 essential amino acids for the human body. The porridge made from Shishe millet has an orange-yellow hue, with grains like snowflakes evenly suspended in a thick, sticky texture. A layer of bright millet oil floats on top. Its aroma is intoxicating, and the taste is wonderfully sweet. If red beans are added and the porridge is slow-cooked, served alongside pickled country-style leeks, the flavor is even better, with a memorable aftertaste. It is very digestible, suitable for all ages, and serves as a medicinal diet.

　　Historical Background

　　Shishe millet has long been famous. It is said that ever since the Ming Jiajing era, Shishe millet has been a tribute to the imperial court, beloved by royalty and nobility, making it widely known across the country. With the progress of the times, advancements in dietary science, and improvements in living standards, people have come to especially value the medicinal properties of millet, further elevating the nutritional value of Shishe millet. Professor Qi Guoli, Director of Internal Medicine at the Affiliated Hospital of Beijing Medical University and a nutrition expert, believes that millet has benefits such as nourishing yin and dispelling dampness, strengthening the spleen and stimulating appetite, calming the nerves and aiding sleep, as well as nourishing the liver and generating blood. Especially for the elderly, drinking a bowl of millet porridge before bed aids digestion, improves sleep quality, ensures ample energy the next day. In the early days of millet production, though the hardworking and wise masses could not scientifically analyze the nutritional value and medicinal properties of millet—especially Shishe millet—they had practical experience and summarized its benefits. Though the origins of this knowledge are unknown, whenever a woman was “sitting the month” (postpartum recovery), mothers-in-law would make every effort to cook porridge from Shishe millet and bake some dried bread for the new mother to eat. It was believed that millet porridge was easy to digest and rich in nutrients, helping new mothers produce milk more quickly and in higher quality, thus ensuring babies grew strong and healthy. Additionally, millet porridge helped new mothers nourish their liver and blood, speeding up their physical recovery. As a result, Shishe millet became an unparalleled premium product among millets, as well as an essential gift used by the people of Shishe to entertain and give to relatives and friends.

　　During the revolutionary war years, the people of Shishe supported the front lines by sending their finest millet to comfort the soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army. Many central leaders also ate Shishe millet at the time. After liberation, when Geng Biao, Zhang Caiqian, and others inspected Qingyang, they made sure to take Shishe millet with them when they left.

　　As early as the 1970s, Shishe Township, with the assistance of relevant scientific research departments, began further improving millet varieties and promoting large-scale cultivation. In today’s rapidly developing commodity economy, the township has also focused heavily on industrial restructuring, gradually moving the production and processing of Shishe millet toward industrialization and commercialization. The planting scale of millet in Shishe has gradually expanded, new and superior varieties have been rapidly promoted, and farmers’ planting incomes have continued to increase. Today’s Shishe millet appears in markets inside and outside the district with even better quality, exquisite packaging, and thoughtful service, becoming a highly sought-after and popular product.