Changxing Ginkgo Nuts

Changxing Ginkgo Nuts

Changxing Ginkgo Nuts are a protected geographical indication product.

　　　　Product Name: Ginkgo Nuts

　　　　Place of Origin: Changxing, Huzhou

　　　　Product Characteristics: Ginkgo nuts have a cooling nature and are highly nutritious.

　　　　Product Season: The annual growth rhythm of ginkgo roots has two peak periods. The first peak occurs from early May to early July, during which root growth accounts for 70% of the total annual root growth. The second peak occurs from mid-October to late November. As long as the soil temperature remains above 5°C, the roots can still grow slowly. Promoting afforestation in October takes advantage of this favorable period when roots are still able to grow.

　　　　Product Varieties: Include Big Finger, Medium Finger, Small Finger, Large Plum Pit, Small Plum Pit, and Eye Bead, among others.

　　　　Product Composition: Contains protein, fat, sugar, as well as small amounts of calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, and other components.

　　　　Product Efficacy: Ginkgo seeds, also known as ginkgo nuts, can be eaten when roasted and are fragrant, soft, and delicious. They are also a valuable medicinal ingredient, known for their astringent, cough-suppressing, and phlegm-dispelling properties, and have certain therapeutic effects on elderly bronchitis. In the past 20 years, it has been discovered that they can help delay aging and moisturize the skin, which has garnered significant attention from the international medical community. In Japan, ginkgo nuts are used as high-end nutritional food or as a filler in premium cold creams.

　　　　Product Introduction: The ginkgo tree, commonly known as the "white fruit tree," has an extremely long lifespan, typically reaching up to a thousand years. Its fruit is called the ginkgo nut. In the ancient temples of Huzhou, one or two ancient ginkgo trees can usually be found, but Changxing boasts them in abundance, forming entire groves. In recent years, extensive planting has been carried out, and a ginkgo base of over 11,000 trees has now been established. There is an ancient ginkgo tree in Xujiatun from the Southern Song Dynasty, over 700 years old, standing 19 meters tall with a trunk diameter of 108 cm and a crown spread of 180 square meters. Despite its age, it still produces 70 jin of ginkgo nuts annually. Authenticated by the Editorial Committee of the China Ginkgo Records, this tree belongs to the Longzhi Finger variety and is comparable to the "Dongting Emperor." Varieties of ginkgo in Changxing include Big Finger, Medium Finger, Small Finger, Large Plum Pit, Small Plum Pit, and Eye Bead, among which the Big Finger variety is of the highest quality and has traditionally been an export commodity.

　　　　Product History: Folklore says that the tree is planted by a grandfather and only bears fruit by the time the grandson can eat it, hence it is also called the "grandfather-grandson tree." It is one of the oldest surviving tree species in the world, having once been distributed globally in ancient times. After the Quaternary Ice Age, it survived only in China, thus earning the title "living fossil." The ancestors of the ginkgo tree can be traced back hundreds of millions of years. The origin and distribution of the ginkgo are believed to be in the narrow valleys of West Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, China. Seward (1936) suggested that "even if China is not the current home of the ginkgo, it is certainly the last natural home." According to fossil records, the Dichophyllum genus found in Carboniferous fossils in the United States can be regarded as the most ancient representative of ginkgo-like plants, as its vegetative branches and xylem resemble those of the Ginkgoales. More reliable ginkgo-like fossils include the Trichopitys genus from the Early Permian, whose leaves were more slender than those of the Dichophyllum genus, and its seeds (ovules) grew on branches originating from leaf axils. By the Late Triassic, genera resembling modern ginkgos appeared, such as Ginkgoites, Baiera, and Ginkgodium. These genera were widely distributed across the globe and closely resembled modern ginkgo trees.