Nanchangtan Soft Pears

Nanchangtan Soft Pears

Nanchangtan Soft Pears are a product with geographical indication status.

　　Nanchangtan Soft Pears

　　Soft pears, also known as soft pears, perfume pears, or thin pears, have a long history of cultivation and are one of the “Three Treasures” of Nanchangtan in Zhongwei.

　　Soft pears have been cultivated in Zhongwei for a very long time. According to the *Zhongwei County Annals*, pear trees were planted in the area during the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty, with over 600 years of history. The *Zhongwei County Annals* from the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty record that “there were orchards of jujubes, pears, peaches, crabapples, autumn pears, apples, mulberries, grapes, apricots, oleasters, and wolfberries.” “During the Republican era, places such as Yongkang, Xuzhuang, Zhaolin, Shatan, Nanchangtan, Caiqiao, and Xindun had many jujube, wolfberry, and crabapple orchards, where red dates, wolfberries, long pears, and perfume pears were widely renowned.” Currently, there are ancient pear trees over 350 years old still growing in the Nanchangtan production area of Xiangshan Township. In December 2008, Nanchangtan in Xiangshan Township, Zhongwei, was designated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China and the National Cultural Heritage Administration as the first “National Historic and Cultural Village” in Ningxia. Experts have confirmed that the pear and jujube trees in this region were planted by descendants of the Tuoba clan who sought refuge here after the Mongol destruction of the Western Xia. These trees are now 300 to 500 years old; the largest ones are so big that three people cannot encircle them with their arms, and their canopies cover up to 300 square meters.

　　Geographical Scope

　　The geographical indication protection area for agricultural products includes one township and eight administrative villages in Xiangshan Township, Zhongwei City. The protected area lies between 104°17′00″–106°10′00″ east longitude and 36°09′00″–37°43′00″ north latitude. The total production area is 3,000 hectares, with an annual yield of 900 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Features: Nanchangtan Soft Pears are nearly round in shape, with an average weight of about 125 grams. Fresh pears are yellowish-green with hints of red, and their skins are relatively thick. If stored until winter and frozen into black “ice balls,” they melt into a juice-like interior. To eat, peel the skin and suck the flesh, which tastes like sweet dew. 2. Internal Quality Features: The pears can be eaten fresh, though their flesh is firm, tart, and astringent. However, they become much tastier when frozen. They are cool in nature, sweet and slightly sour in flavor, with effects that moisten the lungs, cool the heart, resolve phlegm, and reduce internal heat. They contain 15.6%–16.4% soluble solids, 0.87–0.93 mg/100g of vitamin C, and 0.35%–0.59% acid. 3. Safety Requirements: The production environment must strictly comply with the standards outlined in the *Technical Specifications for Production Areas of Pollution-Free Forest and Orchard Products* (NY5013-2006); food pollutants must meet the criteria of the *National Food Safety Standard – Maximum Levels of Contaminants in Foods* (GB2762-2012); pesticide residues must adhere to the *National Food Safety Standard – Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides in Foods* (GB2763-2014); and product quality must conform to the *National Standard for Fresh Pears* (GB/T 10650-2008).