Chongming Golden Melon

Chongming Golden Melon

The Chongming Golden Melon is a geographical indication certification trademark.

The Chongming Golden Melon is a protected agricultural geographical indication product.

　　The golden melon, also known as the golden silk melon, has been cultivated on Chongming Island for over a hundred years and is a traditional specialty

　　of the region. With its tender, fragrant, crisp, and refreshing taste, it is a premium dish that is both delicious and visually appealing, widely favored in homes, restaurants, and hotels. It enjoys the reputation of being the "vegetable jellyfish." Not only is the golden melon tasty, but it is also highly nutritious. In addition to containing various vitamins essential to the human body, it also provides phosphorus, iron, calcium, and other nutrients that are easily absorbed. It helps invigorate the spleen and replenish qi, reduce inflammation and pain, detoxify, and kill parasites. It also has therapeutic effects on hypertension, coronary heart disease, and obesity among the elderly.

　　Geographical Scope

　　Chongming Island is the third-largest island in China and the world’s largest estuarine alluvial island. Located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, it is surrounded by rivers on three sides and faces the sea on one. To the east lies the vast East China Sea; to the south, it faces Baoshan District and Pudong New Area of Shanghai, as well as Taicang City of Jiangsu Province, across the water; to the west, it borders the surging Yangtze River; and to the north, it is close to Haimen City and Qidong City of Jiangsu Province. The geographical indication protection area for the Chongming Golden Melon agricultural product covers 15 towns and 1 township in Chongming County, Shanghai, including Sanxing Town, Luhua Town, Miaozhen Town, Gangxi Town, Chengqiao Town, Jianshe Town, Xinhe Town, Shuxin Town, Baozhen Town, Gangyan Town, Xianghua Town, Zhongxing Town, Chenjia Town, Xinhai Town, Dongping Town, and Xincun Township. This area encompasses a total of 267 administrative villages, covering a total area of 1,411 square kilometers—1,267 square kilometers on Chongming Island, 88 square kilometers on Changxing Island, and 56 square kilometers on Hengsha Island. The geographical coordinates range from 121°09′30″ to 121°54′00″ east longitude and from 31°27′00″ to 31°51′15″ north latitude. The total production area of Chongming Golden Melon is 1,000 hectares, with an annual output of 30,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: The stem of the Chongming Golden Melon is relatively thin, and the fruit is oval-shaped. Its rind is golden yellow with 10 ridges. The vertical diameter is about 15 cm to 32 cm, and the horizontal diameter is about 10 cm to 25 cm. Each melon weighs between 0.5 kg and 3 kg. The flesh of the Chongming Golden Melon is golden yellow and can naturally separate into strands. The flesh consists of interlocking strands arranged in a circular pattern, with each strand connected by a thin layer of cells. When steamed, salted, or frozen, the connecting cell layers break down, causing the strands to separate into noodle-like threads. The strand separation rate exceeds 30%. These golden-yellow strands are fragrant, with a relatively crisp texture. 2. Internal Quality: Per 100 g of dried golden melon flesh, it contains 0.5 g to 0.9 g of protein, 0.17 g to 0.57 g of fat, 15 mg to 18 mg of calcium, 20 mg to 23 mg of phosphorus, and 2.63 mg to 5.83 mg of iron. Per 100 g of fresh flesh, it contains 12 μg to 16 μg of vitamin PP, 3.14 mg to 9.14 mg of vitamin C, and 50 μg to 80 μg of vitamin B1. The golden melon is rich in essential amino acids such as adenine, citrulline, aspartic acid, and arginine. 3. Safety Requirements: The production of Chongming Golden Melon strictly adheres to the standards NY 5010 ("Pollution-Free Vegetable Production Environment Conditions") and NY 5074 ("Pollution-Free Melon Vegetables"). The product quality meets the requirements outlined in Table 2. The use of the following pesticides is prohibited: hexachlorocyclohexane, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, toxaphene, nitrofen, EPTC, atrazine, simazine, mercury-based compounds, arsenic and lead compounds, dikwat, fluoroacetamide, glyfurol, tetramine, sodium fluoroacetate, vacor, silatrane, parathion, methyl parathion, parathion-methyl, monocrotophos, monocrotophos-methyl, profenofos, methamidophos, phorate, isofenphos-methyl, terbufos, thiometon, fensulfothion, cadusafos, fenamiphos, dimethoate, and methidathion.