Tanggula Yak

Tanggula Yak

The Tanggula Yak is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Tanggula Yak is a specialty of Tanggula Mountain Town, Golmud City, Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is a nationally protected geographical indication agricultural product.

　　The Tanggula Yak is known as the "boat of the snowy plateau" and has been inextricably linked to Tibetan culture and historical life since ancient times, serving as an important symbol of Tibetan spiritual and material culture. It is one of the earliest domesticated animals by the Tibetan ancestors and has lived on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau since ancient times, exhibiting remarkable endurance and resilience. Especially during harsh, ice-cold winters, the Tanggula Yak, with its cold-resistant and load-bearing nature, tirelessly travels, shouldering the role of the “boat of the snowy plateau.” The Tanggula Yak has also been an important totemic figure in Tibetan history. The Tibetan creation myth *The Origin of All Things* states: “The head, eyes, intestines, fur, hooves, and heart of the cow turned into the sun, moon, stars, rivers, lakes, forests, and mountains.” This is a natural outcome of the rich imaginative faculties of the Tibetan ancestors, who deified or materialized their totem—the Tanggula Yak—and let their creativity flow.

　　In 2014, the "Tanggula Yak" application submitted by the Golmud City Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Workstation passed the review of the Agricultural Product Quality and Safety Center of the Ministry of Agriculture and expert evaluation, leading to its registration and protection under the National Geographical Indication Agricultural Product system.

　　Golmud City Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Workstation

　　Region: 2014

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected area for the Tanggula Yak geographical indication includes the administrative region of Tanggula Mountain Town, Golmud City. The geographical coordinates are: 91°38′49” to 93°20′22” east longitude, and 33°52′14” to 35°12’ north latitude. The protected area covers 1,427,755 hectares. To the south it borders the Nagqu Prefecture of Tibet, to the east and north it neighbors Yushu Prefecture, and to the west it reaches Xinjiang. The elevation within the area ranges from 4,500 to over 6,000 meters, featuring a highland continental climate.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. Unique Sensory Features: Since the Tanggula region is a habitat for wild yaks, during summer and autumn, wild yaks from the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve often interbreed with domestic yaks, resulting in more than 25% of domestic yaks having wild yak bloodlines. As a result, Tanggula Yaks exhibit slower growth and generally larger body sizes compared to yaks from other regions. Upon slaughtering, the carcass shows shiny, smooth muscle texture with a slightly darker hue, pale yellow fat, clear and tough muscle fibers with obvious marbling, good elasticity, and immediate bounce-back when pressed. The exterior is moist but not sticky, with no off-odors, possessing the distinct aroma of fresh beef. The broth from boiled Tanggula Yak meat is clear and transparent, with fat gathering on the surface, offering a unique and rich fragrance. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Having long lived in high-altitude cold regions above 4,500 meters and traditionally raised through nomadic herding, the Tanggula Yak meat benefits from wild yak genetic inheritance, resulting in high quality, delicious taste, coarser muscle fibers, dark red color, and low gaminess. The total protein content of Tanggula Yak meat is ≥22%, fat content ≥0.5%, and total 17 amino acids ≥20%. With high protein, low fat, complete range of amino acids, and a unique flavor unmatched by other beef types, it serves as prime raw material for high-quality beef products. It is considered top-grade yak meat and offers a delicious taste, making it both a premium meat product and a semi-wild delicacy. 3. Safety Requirements: Located in the central part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, at the core of the Sanjiangyuan (Three-River-Source) National Park known as the "Water Tower of China," Tanggula Mountain Town hosts no industrial or mining enterprises, meaning nearly zero pollution to the local ecology and environment where Tanggula Yaks are raised. Therefore, the air quality of the yak-raising environment meets the requirements of GB3095; drinking water complies with NY2057 standards for pollution-free livestock drinking water; and soil environmental quality adheres to HJ 568 – 2010 specifications for evaluating livestock farming environments.