Our country has a vast territory and rich products. Different regions and different ecological conditions have different vegetable types and cultivation methods, forming their own characteristics and creating their own "famous brands".
1. Shandong’s “Three Spices”
Zhangqiu green onions, Cangshan garlic, and Laiwu ginger are collectively known as the “Three Spices of Shandong.”
Zhangqiu green onions: Zhangqiu is located in the middle of Shandong Province, with an altitude of 30 to 100 meters. It has flat terrain, abundant water, deep soil, loose texture, and fertile soil. Winters and springs are dry, summers are hot and rainy, autumns are sunny and sunny, the winds are clear, and the frost-free period is long. It is a typical continental inland climate. The above conditions are suitable for the rhythmic needs of the growth and development cycle of green onions, thus creating its unique flavor.
Cangshan garlic: Cangshan garlic is a famous vegetable in Shandong Province. It has the characteristics of large head and few petals, thin and white skin, sticky and spicy tuft, and rich nutrition. Garlic cultivation in Shandong probably began in the Eastern Han Dynasty. When Jia Sixie, a Shandong agriculturist in the Later Wei Dynasty, wrote "Essentials for Qi Min", garlic cultivation in Shandong already had a certain history and a large cultivation area. About 300 years ago, Cangshan formed a concentrated production area. After a long period of natural selection and targeted cultivation by Cangshan farmers, today's "Cangshan Garlic" was formed. After the reform and opening up, Cangshan Garlic Farmers planted garlic scientifically and vigorously developed commercial garlic production. In 1988, the planting area reached more than 90,000 acres, with an output of 500 to 600 kilograms of garlic and 400 to 500 kilograms of garlic sprouts per mu, and a total output of more than 50 million kilograms of garlic. The total output value of garlic in the county exceeds 100 million yuan, becoming an important way for Cangshan farmers to get rich. With the increase in output, external sales have also increased year by year, from a few dozen tons in the 1950s to more than 6,000 tons in the 1980s, and the sales volume of garlic sprouts has also reached more than 1,000 tons. Cangshan garlic is exported to the Middle East, Europe and the United States, earning a large amount of foreign exchange for the country and increasing the popularity of Chinese vegetables overseas.
Laiwu ginger: Ginger is widely distributed in my country and is cultivated from south to north. In the north, Shandong is the main production area, and Shandong is famous for Laiwu ginger. Laiwu ginger is exported to Beijing, Tianjin, Northeast, Northwest and North China, and exported to Japan and Southeast Asian countries, enjoying a certain reputation in the international market.
Laiwu ginger not only has high yield and excellent quality, but also has large pieces, fresh color, tender texture, strong spicy flavor, and is durable for storage and transportation. The main variety of Laiwu ginger is sliced ??ginger, which has strong growth, 70 to 80 cm high, strong branching, yellow skin and yellow flesh on the rhizome, many ginger bulbs arranged closely, many nodes and short internodes, and scales on the upper part of the ginger bulb. It is light red in color, and a single plant can produce 300-400 grams of fresh ginger, with the heaviest reaching 1,000 grams. The second is the big ginger variety, with a plant height of 80 to 100 centimeters, large and thick leaves, thick stems, small number of branches, few and fat rhizome ginger bulbs, and beautiful shape with few nodes.
Ginger likes warm temperatures but is not cold-tolerant, and the optimal growth temperature is 20 to 28°C. It does not have strict requirements on soil quality. Due to its place of origin, it is more tolerant of shade and intolerant of strong light, so it grows better under shade conditions in summer. Due to its underdeveloped root system and high evaporation, it is not drought tolerant. Laiwu is located in central Shandong, with a warm temperate continental semi-humid climate and fertile soil. Ginger is mainly distributed on both sides of the lower reaches of Wenhe and Huihe rivers, with abundant water resources. Sowing in early May and harvesting in late October, the growing period lasts for 140 to 145 days, which can meet the growth needs of ginger for 135 to 150 days. The cool temperatures in August and September are suitable for the vigorous growth and nutrient accumulation of ginger. Timely sowing and unique management methods form the characteristics of Laiwu ginger. Therefore, the reason why Laiwu ginger has become a famous product is not just the effect of a single factor such as temperature or soil, but the result of the combined effect of multiple ecological factors.
2. Nostoc in Ningxia
Nostoc is a terrestrial algae plant, so named because it looks like hair. Because it is homophonic with the word "make a fortune", it is deeply loved by overseas Chinese and is often given as a gift to relatives and friends during festivals to show "good luck". Nostoc grows in deserts, Gobis, and grasslands. It is distributed in Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, and Shaanxi, but Ningxia Nostoc has the best quality and the largest quantity, accounting for more than half of the country's exports.
Nostoc is both drought-tolerant and cold-tolerant. Spring and summer are the peak seasons for Nostoc growth.
At present, the production of Nostoc is still mainly based on the collection of wild resources, but many production units and research units have begun to develop the artificial cultivation of Nostoc.
There are many ways to eat Nostoc, such as "Stuffed Nostoc" in Beijing, "Mixed Nostoc" in Shaanxi, "Little Duck Nostoc" in Gansu, "Nostoc Beads" in Fujian, Qinghai The "Three Color Nostoc" and other dishes taste as fragrant as water shield, as fresh as mushrooms, as delicate as bird's nests, as flexible as needle-like lichen, and have the taste of seafood.
3. Beijing's "Xinxinmei" radish
Beijing's "Xinxinmei" radish is a unique variety in Beijing. It is oblong, green-skinned, with grass-white flesh, blood-red flesh, etc. , most common with blood-red flesh. It is of good quality and has better flavor after storage. It can be eaten raw as fruit and can be eaten cold to appetize and relieve greasiness. The skillful chefs use "inner beauty" to carve various patterns to embellish the table and increase the beauty.
After long-term cultivation, the original varieties have seriously degraded, manifested as different shapes of fleshy roots, uneven flesh coloring, loss of beauty, increased flesh fiber, and bland taste. In order to maintain its traditional characteristics and improve its quality, the Beijing Vegetable Center purified the blood-red flesh of Xinmei and successively selected and bred several lines with better comprehensive properties. The blood-red flesh reached more than 95%, the meat was crispy and tasted good, and the yield per mu could be achieved. The weight reaches more than 2,500 kilograms, and trial planting has been promoted in many places across the country.