Anji Long Melon

Anji Long Melon

　　Anji Long Melon is also known as Bottle Gourd, Anji Dibu, or Night-Blooming Gourd. In 1987, it was approved by the provincial crop variety committee and included in the "National Register of Excellent Local Crop Varieties." It is suitable for cultivation in coastal regions south of the Yangtze River in China and is also an important variety for protected cultivation in the north. After years of purification, rejuvenation, and selection by agricultural experts in our county, Anji Long Melon is divided into two main types: one is the light green type, with young melons in light green color and white fuzz, measuring 40–45 cm in length. When cooked, it has a tender, refreshing taste and excellent quality, commonly referred to as Anji Dibu. The other is the deep green type, which is uniformly thick from top to bottom, with an attractive shape, about 50 cm long, and nearly dark green in color, known for its premium quality and commonly called Hangzhou Qingpu. Currently, Anji County is the largest breeding base for Long Melon in China, supplying 150,000 kilograms of cultivation seeds and around 1,000 kilograms of original seeds to major users nationwide every year. (Anji)