Basic Introduction to Guanxian Duck Pear
Guanxian Duck Pear, a specialty of Guan County, Shandong Province, is a Chinese national geographic indication product. The production area has a superior environment and a long history of cultivation. The produced duck pears are renowned for their thin skin, fine texture, tender flesh, clean and smooth surface, regular shape, golden color, clear and fragrant juice, sweet and sour taste, small white flesh around the core, and excellent storability. They have been awarded the National Quality Product Prize, and their products are exported to various countries in Southeast Asia.
Nutritional Value
The main features of Guanxian Duck Pears are: high sugar content, strong storability, thin skin, few stone cells, fresh fruit color, abundant juice, large size with a small core, tender and crisp flesh, sweet taste, clean and smooth surface, regular shape, and rich nutritional value. When cut with a knife, juice drips out immediately, leaving a refreshing aftertaste in the mouth, making it an excellent palate cleanser and hangover remedy. They can be eaten raw, processed into canned goods, or made into beverages and seasonings. Duck pears also have medicinal properties, such as quenching thirst, moistening dryness, clearing heat, and soothing coughs. Regular consumption can clear stomach heat, benefit the spleen and liver. They are particularly effective for symptoms like dryness and thirst, lung heat causing cough, red eyes, sore throat, and constipation.
Historical Folklore
Guan County, Shandong Province, is located at the southern end of the North China Plain, with the old course of the Yellow River running through it from north to south. The production of Guanxian Duck Pears has a long history and covers a vast area, earning the reputation of “the best duck pears in the world,” and making it one of China's famous “duck pear hometowns.” It is said that before the Han Dynasty, people here used mulberry trees to graft pear trees. Historical records show that during the Tang Dynasty, the area west of ancient Tangyi city, near the southern side of the old Yellow River breach, which is now the area around Hanlu Village in Guan County, was already rich in the production of duck pears. According to surveys, by the beginning of the 21st century, there were still many old pear trees, some over a hundred years old and others even several hundred years old, in the large orchards along the old course of the Yellow River in the northeastern part of the county. One particular duck pear tree planted by the Wang family in 1669 (the 8th year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing dynasty) in Hanlu Village, Lanwo Township, is 337 years old, stands 12 meters tall, has a crown spread of 19 meters, and a trunk circumference of 3.6 meters, and still bears about 2,000 kilograms of duck pears each year, earning it the title of “King of Pear Trees.”
Awards and Honors
In accordance with the Regulations on the Protection of Geographical Indication Products, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China reviewed the application for geographical indication product protection for Guanxian Duck Pears. After review, it was approved to implement geographical indication product protection for Guanxian Duck Pears starting from May 24, 2006.