Basic Introduction to Lizhou Red Chestnuts
The Lizhou District has made the development of the “Lizhou Red Chestnuts” industry a key project in its comprehensive forestry development program for mountainous areas. Based on cooperation with the Sichuan Academy of Forestry, the Lizhou Red Chestnut Association was established in Guangyuan City. The association relies on the academy and hires experts as technical directors to focus on solving research and technical challenges, and also conducts technical lectures. It has invited leaders and scientific talents from the Sichuan Forestry Department and the Sichuan Academy of Forestry to the association for lectures and guidance, and has held multiple exchanges on Lizhou Red Chestnut grafting and planting techniques. It has also conducted domestic science popularization experience exchange activities, which have raised the profile of the Lizhou Red Chestnut industry. To date, branch associations have been set up in eight towns within the jurisdiction of the Lizhou District, and a 32,000-mu demonstration base for Lizhou Red Chestnuts has been established, including a 2,000-mu plantation of high-quality Lizhou Red Chestnut varieties, which can provide 2 million high-quality scions annually. The association covers 25 administrative villages and directly benefits about 8,000 households, or approximately 30,000 people. In 2012, the total production of Lizhou Red Chestnuts reached over 3.5 million kilograms, achieving a total output value of 48 million RMB.
China has a rich variety of chestnut types, which can be roughly divided into two categories based on their appearance: one is the conical chestnut, primarily grown in mountainous areas north of Fujian Province. The other, larger and flatter, is the Chinese chestnut, found predominantly in many provinces in northern China. They have large, round burrs covered with spines, containing 2-3 nuts per burr, commonly known as chestnuts. These are a specialty of China and have been referred to as the “king of dried fruits.” Abroad, they are also known as “ginseng fruit.” Sweet and delicious chestnuts have long been considered precious fruit and stand out among dried fruits. Chestnuts belong to the nut family and are high in starch. According to traditional Chinese medicine, chestnuts are believed to tonify the kidneys, strengthen the spleen, and build bones, and are beneficial to the stomach and liver. Thus, chestnuts have earned the reputation as the “fruit of the kidney.” They are distributed in places such as Liaoning Province, Beijing, Hebei Province, Shandong Province, Henan Province, and Huanglong County in Shaanxi Province, etc. The chestnuts of Kuancheng in Chengde, Hebei Province, and Qianxi in Tangshan, Hebei Province, are particularly noted for their organic iron content. Chestnuts are highly adaptable, easy to cultivate and manage, and produce stable yields, making them very popular among the public. The people of North China refer to chestnuts as “iron stalk crops,” an excellent tree species for combining greening efforts with production.
Nutritional Value
1. The rich unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals in chestnuts can prevent and treat hypertension, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, and other diseases, making them ideal anti-aging and longevity-promoting nourishing foods.
2. Chestnuts contain riboflavin, which is beneficial for persistent mouth ulcers in children and adults.
3. Rich in vitamin C, chestnuts maintain the health of teeth, bones, blood vessels, and muscles, preventing and treating osteoporosis, back and leg pain, bone pain, weakness, and other conditions, delaying aging and making them ideal health fruits for seniors.
4. Chestnuts are a type of dry fruit with high carbohydrate content that provides the body with a lot of energy and helps in fat metabolism, having the effects of invigorating qi and strengthening the spleen, as well as thickening and nourishing the stomach and intestines.
Product Characteristics
The young branches are gray-brown, and the stipules are oblong, 10-15 mm long, covered with sparse long hairs and glandular scales. The leaves are elliptical to oblong, 11-17 cm long, rarely reaching 7 cm wide, with a short to gradually pointed apex and a nearly truncate or rounded base.
Tasting and Eating Methods
Snowflake Chestnut Cake
Ingredients
Main Ingredients: Appropriate amount of chestnuts, soybeans, walnuts, almonds
Secondary Ingredients: Grapes, coconut flakes, sugar needles, gelatin sheets
Seasonings: Granulated sugar
Cooking Method: 1. Chestnuts, soybeans, walnuts, almonds, grapes, coconut shreds, gelatin sheets
2. Soak soybeans in advance for two to three hours (dry beans can also be used without soaking, depending on your blender and preferences).
3. Make a cut in the chestnuts, then place them in boiling water for 3 to 5 minutes until they open up.
4. Remove and rinse with cold water to easily peel the chestnuts.
5. Put the soaked soybeans and peeled chestnuts, along with walnuts and almonds, into a blender, add an appropriate amount of water, and blend using the soy milk function (less water makes a thicker mixture; more water results in a lighter flavor. For making chestnut cake, it is better to use less water for a thicker consistency).
6. While blending the soy milk, soak gelatin sheets in cold water to soften them.
7. After blending, strain the chestnut soy milk mixture into a small pot, add the softened gelatin sheets, and simmer over low heat until slightly warm.
8. Wash grapes and trim a little at the stem end so they stand upright in a dish, then pour the chestnut mixture over them. Once cooled, cover with cling film and refrigerate until set.
9. Before serving, sprinkle with coconut flakes and sugar needles.