Yushu Prickly Ash Root

Yushu Prickly Ash Root

Yushu Prickly Ash Root is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Yushu Prickly Ash Root

　　As recorded in the Tibetan medical classic *Four Medical Tantras*, Yushu Prickly Ash Root typically grows at elevations above 3,500 meters and boasts a cultivation history spanning over a thousand years. It is valued for its heat-clearing, detoxifying, nourishing, and oxygen-enhancing effects. Modern scientific studies reveal that the root is packed with nutrients such as protein, calcium, phosphorus, and iron, making it highly beneficial when consumed regularly. For centuries, it has been a unique food and medicinal ingredient among the Tibetan people. Herders often use it to make soups and noodles. Today, it has been developed into specialty products such as Prickly Ash Root beverages and pickled vegetables, which have expanded beyond their place of origin and formed a distinctive local industry.

　　Vegetable

　　Geographical Scope

　　The geographical indication area for Yushu Prickly Ash Root covers regions within Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, where the root can be cultivated. Yushu Prefecture is located in the heart of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in southwestern Qinghai, at the source of the Three Rivers, with an average altitude exceeding 4,200 meters. In Tibetan, Yushu means "ruins." Geographically, it lies roughly between 89°27′ to 97°39′ east longitude and 31°45′ to 36°10′ north latitude. It borders Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to the north, touches Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang to the northwest, connects to Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to the east, neighbors Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province to the southeast, and adjoins Chamdo and Nagqu prefectures in Tibet to the southwest. The prefecture stretches 738 kilometers from east to west and 406 kilometers from north to south at its widest, covering a total land area of 203,000 square kilometers, accounting for 28.2% of the province's total area. It currently administers six counties—Yushu, Chindu, Nangqian, Zadoi, Zhidoi, and Qumarleb—comprising 10 towns and 35 townships. The planting area of Prickly Ash Root is approximately 38,000 mu.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Quality: Yushu Prickly Ash Root grows quickly, yields abundantly, and offers high nutritional value. It has tender flesh, thin skin, and a sweet, crisp taste. It is highly adaptable, cold-resistant, and disease-resistant, with good storage and transport durability. Serving as both fodder and a vegetable, it also has certain medicinal properties. The root is flat-round in shape, with a smooth, uncracked skin, and each weighs over 250g. Its flesh is dense, crisp, and slightly sweet with a hint of spiciness. It is characterized by a sweet and warm nature, offering heat-clearing and summer-heat-relieving effects, as well as oxygen-enhancing, vision-improving, dampness-draining, appetite-stimulating, digestion-promoting, hangover-relieving, and weight-loss benefits. 2. Internal Quality: The root is rich in nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron. Its protein content is ≥5%, total sugar content is ≥45%, and total amino acid content is ≥19%. It contains abundant essential amino acids and is rich in triterpenoids (0.19g/100g), which enhance the body’s resistance to hypoxia. Regular consumption is highly beneficial. The root has a sweet and warm nature, with heat-clearing, detoxifying, and oxygen-enhancing effects. 3. Safety Requirements: Yushu Prickly Ash Root is strictly produced in accordance with the green food standards issued by China's Ministry of Agriculture. The specific standards include: NY/T391-2000 Technical Specifications for the Environment of Green Food Production Areas, NY/T393-2000 Guidelines for the Use of Pesticides in Green Food, and NY/T394-2000 Guidelines for the Use of Fertilizers in Green Food.