Baodi Garlic

Baodi Garlic

Baodi Garlic is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Baodi Garlic is a product with a geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　Allium family, genus Allium. Originally wild, with small bulbs and few cloves. Strong in flavor and very pungent. In 119 BC, during Zhang Qian’s second mission to the Western Regions, he brought back “Hu sui” (i.e., garlic) to Chang’an. Initially cultivated in Chang’an, it spread to various northern provinces after the Tang Dynasty. The earliest written record of garlic cultivation in Baodi dates back to the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty in the “Encouragement of Agriculture Book.” In the early Qing Dynasty, the silk embroidery industry in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions used garlic juice to adhere patterns to silk without staining the fabric, preventing mold, discoloration, or insect damage. Traditional silk flowers also required Baodi garlic juice as an adhesive. Because Baodi garlic juice is clear, mildly flavored, and non-irritating to the eyes, it gained fame across the regions south of the Yangtze River, making it the only choice. This also contributed to the development of Baodi garlic.

　　In 1973, the garlic planting area in Baodi was included in the national plan, and the product was exported to Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Since then, Baodi red-skinned garlic has become nationally renowned for its high quality and yield, entering the international market.

　　Garlic is an indispensable condiment in cooking. Tianjin restaurants slice it into “phoenix-eye” pieces, combining it with shredded scallions and ginger to make a “master mix” for stir-frying, enhancing the color and flavor of dishes. Especially for quick-fried dishes, the aroma of “minced garlic” is essential. When stewing fish or cooking “offal” dishes, garlic is added to eliminate fishy odors.

　　Located at the heart of Beijing, Tianjin, and Tangshan, Baodi District is known as the hometown of the “Three Spicy Crops,” famous for producing scallions, garlic, and Tianjin peppers. Among them, Baodi garlic, known as “Six-Clove Red,” is the most renowned and is one of the premium local specialties of Tianjin.

　　Garlic, known in ancient times as “hu” or “hulan,” is said to have been brought back for cultivation by Zhang Qian during Emperor Wu of Han’s reign after his mission to the Western Regions, with a cultivation history in China of at least 2,000 years. It is difficult to verify exactly when garlic was introduced to the Beijing and Tianjin areas, but historical records indicate that since the mid-Ming Dynasty, garlic has been widely grown in Baodi. Particularly along the middle and lower reaches of the Jian River, where the soil is fertile and rich in organic matter—ideal for garlic growth—it became the main production area. Through careful selection, Baodi garlic bulbs are regularly shaped, usually with six cloves, and have a purplish-red skin, hence the name “Six-Clove Red.” Its spicy yet aromatic taste makes it a premium seasoning. During the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era, the silk embroidery industry in Jiangsu and Zhejiang developed rapidly. Embroidery artisans discovered that using garlic juice to affix patterns to silk not only avoided staining the fabric but also prevented mold, discoloration, and insect damage. Due to its high viscosity, Baodi garlic juice became the preferred adhesive for Jiangsu-Zhejiang embroidery, used in handicrafts. At the time, during the garlic harvest season, merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang traveled great distances via waterways to Baodi to purchase garlic. The Jian River and Ji Canal were filled with numerous garlic transport boats. Baodi garlic not only enjoyed fame throughout the south but also became a royal delicacy, offered to the imperial court for both consumption and medicinal value. Traditional Chinese medicine regards garlic as warm in nature and spicy in flavor, with benefits such as regulating qi, dispelling wind, breaking cold, detoxifying, and relieving pain. The famous ancient physician Hua Tuo once used garlic for medical treatment. Li Shizhen, the renowned pharmacologist of the Ming Dynasty, also documented in the Compendium of Materia Medica garlic’s use in treating diarrhea, dysentery, vomiting blood, and edema. Modern clinical practices combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine have shown garlic’s effectiveness in reducing inflammation, killing bacteria, stopping diarrhea, promoting diuresis, lowering blood pressure, stopping bleeding, and expelling phlegm. In daily life, garlic is also an essential condiment for ordinary people, especially for dumplings, stewed fish, or cold mixed dishes, where it enhances appetite and kills bacteria. Eating garlic in winter helps resist cold and prevent colds. Hence the folk saying, “For health, eat more garlic.”

　　Throughout history, Baodi garlic has maintained its status as a premium local specialty. Its cultivation methods are also unique, primarily using organic fertilizers, suitable for pollution-free cultivation. The appearance and quality of its garlic bulbs are top-notch, commanding a high market value. It is also an excellent gift for family and friends, and is exported to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asian countries, becoming an export agricultural product that generates foreign exchange.

　　Baodi garlic varieties include Six-Clove Red and Purple-Skin Garlic. They feature large bulbs with red skins, purple cloves with white flesh, high spiciness, abundant and viscous garlic juice, high penicillin content, and excellent antiviral, sterilizing, and anti-cancer properties. These varieties have been recognized as superior varieties in Tianjin, Tianjin agricultural brand-name products, served on the table in 1 in 2008, and certified as pollution-free agricultural products by the Ministry of Agriculture.

　　Geographic Scope

　　The protected geographic indication area for Baodi Garlic agricultural products includes: 16 towns in Baodi District, Tianjin—Lintingkou, Wangbuzhuang, Dazhongzhuang, Fangjiazhuang, Dakoutun, Bamencheng, Huogezhuang, Xinkoukou, Datangzhuang, Niudaokou, Shigezhuang, Haogezhuang, Huangzhuang, Niujiapai, Erwangzhuang, and Xin’an Town—and 8 streets—Haibin, Baoping, Yuhua, Zhouliang, Koudong, Dabai, Zhaoxia, and Chaoyang. The geographical coordinates are between 117°08′ to 117°40′ east longitude and 39°21′ to 39°50′ north latitude, covering a protected area of 1,333.33 hectares, with a total output of 9,000 tons.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　1. External Sensory Characteristics: Baodi garlic mainly has six cloves, arranged in a circle on the stem plate. The skin is purplish-red, the cloves are white, uniform, tender, juicy, with a spicy taste, crisp and fragrant, unique in flavor, and thick in texture. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: Baodi garlic contains 64–66g/100g moisture, 5.25–5.3g/100g protein, 0.2–0.3g/100g fat, 0.13–0.14g/100g reducing sugar, 1.3–1.4g/100g ash, 6.58–6.76mg/100g vitamin C, 5.74–5.78g/100g total amino acids, 25.35–25.42mg/100g magnesium, 10–11mg/kg zinc, 0.0415–0.0418mg/kg selenium, and 4.39×10²–4.42×10²mg/100g potassium. 3. Product Quality and Safety Standards: The growing environment and product quality of Baodi garlic comply with national safety and food safety regulations.