Longquan Stone Frog

Longquan Stone Frog

　　　　Product Name: Longquan Stone Frog

　　Alias: "Diao Fish," "Stone Chicken," Spiny Chest Frog

　　Place of Origin: Lishui

　　Product Features: Nutritious, tender flesh, delicious taste, known for its health-strengthening and detoxifying properties

　　Product Introduction: Commonly known as "stone frog," "diao fish," and "stone chicken," the spiny chest frog is an amphibian belonging to the frog family. It is high in protein and low in fat, with tender and delicious meat that is nutritious and recognized for its health-strengthening and detoxifying benefits.

　　Product History: The "Compendium of Materia Medica" states that it can "regulate malnutrition and emaciation, replenish deficiencies, and is especially suitable for women after childbirth." The "Chinese Medicinal Fauna" records that "stone frogs have tonic and strengthening effects, and are mainly used to treat childhood consumption, malnutrition, and post-illness weakness." Compared to other frog species such as bullfrogs and American bullfrogs, the spiny chest frog has clear advantages in terms of meat flavor, nutritional content, and medicinal value, making it a premium, naturally green, health-nourishing food favored by many.

　　Due to the spiny chest frog’s extremely high environmental requirements, large-scale artificial farming has not yet been successful in our province. Starting in 1997, Longquan City, in conjunction with the construction of one million mu of ecological public welfare forests, designated creeks suitable for the growth of spiny chest frogs as release bases and conducted trials for natural release and artificially assisted breeding projects in Zhulong Town. This involved contracting out the management of frog release to individual villagers or collectives, with limited and timed permitted harvesting. The released creeks were closed off to human activity, with juvenile frogs introduced, vegetation along creek banks restored and greened, habitats created, bait pools built, and insect-attracting plants planted. After two years of release, trial catches were conducted in 1999 and 2000 in the pilot creeks, revealing that stone frog yields had more than doubled compared to previous years, demonstrating significant economic benefits. By the end of 1999, Longquan Fengyangchun Company invested in establishing a Spiny Chest Frog Development Research Institute and built a simulated breeding base. After two years of effort, they successfully bred juvenile frogs in an artificial environment, resolving the major issue of insufficient juvenile frog resources. Currently, they are actively promoting the release and breeding of spiny chest frogs. Once scaled up, given the current market demand and pricing for spiny chest frogs, it is expected to become a new growth point for the economic income of farmers in the mountainous areas of Longquan.