Water Chestnut Bayberry

Water Chestnut Bayberry

　　The tree has moderate vigor, an open canopy, relatively sparse branches, and a relatively short stature. The fruit is medium to small in size, weighing about 9.5 grams, flat-round in shape, resembling a water chestnut — hence the name. When fully ripe, the fruit surface is deep purple-black, with club-shaped flesh columns that have blunt tips, are free-stone, and have fine, soft flesh that is juicy, sweet with a slight acidity, and lightly aromatic. It contains as much as 13% soluble solids, 0.8% acid content, and an impressive edible rate of up to 96%, making it of exceptionally high quality with small seeds. The variety from Gao Lou in Ruian matures from mid-June to early July, with a harvest period lasting about 20 days. It is highly productive and stable, beginning to bear fruit 3–5 years after planting, reaching peak production at around 10 years, and maintaining high yields for approximately 30 years, with an economic fruiting lifespan of about 50 years. During peak production, the average yield per tree exceeds 50 kilograms, and can reach up to 450 kilograms. At maturity, it shows strong resistance to wind, with fruit that does not easily drop. It also exhibits notable resistance to canker disease and brown spot, and has a wide adaptability range — it can be introduced and cultivated wherever bayberries grow. It stores and transports well, processes excellently, and is currently one of the best fresh-eating and canning varieties.

Product History: Bayberry, also known as Rijing (as recorded in the Tang Dynasty’s "Fang Xian Za Ji · Rijing" by Feng Zhi), resembles the velvet hat balls worn by opera dan performers, hence it is also called Huadan Fruit. During the Song Dynasty, the best bayberries came from Yuezhou, then referred to as Leng Mei. Other aliases include Shengsheng Mei, Zhu Hong, and Shu Mei. It is abundantly produced in Zhejiang and Jiangsu, and also cultivated in Fujian. Bayberry is not a type of plum; its fruit is spherical in shape with a bumpy skin that appears in shades of red, purple, and white — purple ones are called Purple Bayberry, bluish-white ones are called Crystal Bayberry, and light red ones are called Red Bayberry. It tastes as sweet as honey, with a sweet flavor that carries a hint of acidity, leaving a lingering aftertaste in the mouth, with the purple variety being the best. The fruit contains glucose, fruit acids, citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, and wax, as well as monoglucosides of anthocyanins. It helps promote saliva production, quench thirst, soothe the stomach, and aid digestion.