Basic Introduction to Xuefeng Honey Tangerine
Xuefeng Honey Tangerine is a specialty of Dongkou County, Hunan Province, and is protected as a Chinese national geographical indication product. The geographical indication product protection area for Xuefeng Honey Tangerine covers the current administrative regions of 14 townships in Dongkou County, Hunan Province: Laotian Town, Shuidong Township, Shizhu Township, Shanmen Town, Shijiang Town, Huangqiao Town, Yanglin Township, Gaosha Town, Zhushi Town, Huagu Township, Yanshan Township, Dongkou Town, Yulan Town, and Huayuan Town.
Xuefeng Honey Tangerine is also known as “Seedless Honey Tangerine.” Its main varieties include Gongben, Shiwun, Nannan No.1, Shanyaxia Hong, Koushin, Gongkan, Nangan No.20, and Tachibana, among others. They are characterized by bright color, thin skin with abundant juice, uniform segments, tender and crisp flesh, rich sweetness, and the aroma of honey. Eating them is refreshing and leaves a lasting aftertaste. In the early 1970s, after being reviewed and approved by Premier Zhou Enlai, they were exported under the “Xuefeng Honey Tangerine” trademark, hence the name.
The Xuefeng Honey Tangerine has high sugar content and low acidity, seedless flesh that is fresh and delicious, and strong resistance to adverse conditions. It bears fruit early, yields high production, and stores well. The fruit contains abundant sugars, minerals, organic acids, and various vitamins. According to chemical analysis, the soluble solids content is 11-15%, with 42-49 mg of Vitamin C per 100g of juice, 8.1-11% sugar, 0.54-0.7% acid, and 4.9-5.5% reducing sugar. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other essential substances. The sugar content is about 2% higher than that of Japanese honey tangerines. Xuefeng Honey Tangerines can be eaten fresh or processed into canned tangerine segments in syrup, tangerine juice, preserved fruits, jams, and even made into tangerine wine. They are not only rich in nutrients but also have functions such as preventing scurvy, treating arteriosclerosis and cerebral hemorrhage, and relieving cough and clearing phlegm. Tangerine peels and pith are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine and pharmaceutical and chemical industries.
Unique climatic resources: Dongkou County is located in the southwestern part of Hunan Province, on the eastern slope of the Xuefeng Mountains and the upper reaches of the Zishui River. With a total area of 2184 square kilometers, it has a subtropical monsoon humid climate. The climate is mild, with sufficient light and heat, ample rainfall, and distinct seasons. The annual average temperature is 16.6°C, with activity accumulative temperatures ≥10°C at 5229.7°C, effective accumulative temperatures ≥12°C at 2119°C, an average annual sunshine duration of 1569.2 hours, an average annual rainfall of 1491.9 mm, and a frost-free period of 291 days. The elevation ranges from 380 to 400 meters. Additionally, the Xuefeng Mountains stretch across the northwest of the county, forming a natural barrier that hinders and weakens the direct penetration of cold currents from the northwest, resulting in a warm winter and cool summer climate in the hills and terraces of Dongkou County with significant day-night temperature differences. Furthermore, the soil in Dongkou County is mainly loamy, less loamy, and clayey, developed from limestone, slate, and Quaternary red earth parent materials. The soil is deep, with most depths exceeding 80-100 cm, containing abundant organic matter (usually over 3%-4%), good permeability, a pH value between 5.7 and 7.0, and a balanced mixture of clay and sand. The land in the southeastern hilly areas has gentle slopes, loose and fertile soil, and abundant groundwater resources, making it the most suitable for cultivating Xuefeng Honey Tangerines.
Nutritional Value
The fruit contains abundant sugars, minerals, organic acids, and various vitamins. According to chemical analysis, the soluble solids content is 11-15%, with 42-49 mg of Vitamin C per 100g of juice, 8.1-11% sugar, 0.54-0.7% acid, and 4.9-5.5% reducing sugar. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other essential substances.
Product Characteristics
1. Sensory characteristics: round-shaped fruits of uniform size, bright color, thin and smooth skin, tender and crisp flesh, seedless and juicy, moderate sweetness and sourness, and a rich fragrance.
2. Physicochemical indicators: transverse diameter of the fruit ≥55 mm, soluble solids content ≥11%, and solid-acid ratio ≥12.5.
Historical Folklore
According to local chronicles, there was already cultivation of citrus in Dongkou during the Tang Dynasty.
According to the Qing Jiaqing “Shaoyang County Gazetteer,” the cultivation of honey tangerines began in Shaoyang during the Zhenghe period of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty. By the late Qing Dynasty, Zeng Guofan led the Hunan Army to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, bringing back yellow tangerines, vermilion tangerines, and other varieties. After long-term careful cultivation and continuous improvement through grafting, a unique and flavorful new variety, the Xuefeng Honey Tangerine, was finally developed.
In 1939, Yang Qijian of Qu Tang Village (now Zhushi Town, Dongkou County) reclaimed the local Malang Mountain, planting 400 red tangerine trees and establishing a family orchard, which became the first concentrated and contiguous citrus plantation in Dongkou County. From 1943 to 1945, Fu Xinmin of Changshantang Village (now Yanshan Town, Dongkou County) introduced the Tachibana and Gongkan varieties of seedless citrus from the Yu'nong Farm in Changsha and the Manzhen Farm in Shaoyang for successful trial planting. Later, using the local small-fruited, sour-tasting, seeded citrange as the maternal plant and the successfully cultivated seedless honey tangerine varieties Tachibana and Gongkan as the paternal plants, he grafted 60 trees successfully, establishing a 2-mu citrus orchard that yielded bountiful harvests year after year.
In 1965, Dongkou County sent its own early-ripening variety to the Beijing National Agricultural Exhibition for display, where it was served as a state banquet fruit. Premier Zhou Enlai was deeply impressed after tasting it. In 1966, Xuefeng Honey Tangerines were exported for the first time, with a volume of 25.96 tons. In 1973, Canadian merchants visited Dongkou County for inspection and signed a long-term purchase contract for honey tangerines. In the same year, Premier Zhou Enlai personally named them “Xuefeng Honey Tangerines,” which brought them fame both domestically and internationally. By 1976, the county had established 1976 citrus orchards, covering an area of 17,600 mu with a yield of 1,356 tons.
In 2013, the planting area of Xuefeng Honey Tangerines reached 200,000 mu, with an annual output of nearly 150,000 tons and an annual output value of over 500 million yuan. The products were sold nationwide and exported to more than 40 countries and regions.
Awards and Honors for Xuefeng Honey Tangerines
In the 1960s and 1970s, it was one of China's leading export products for foreign exchange earnings.
In 1973, it was named “Xuefeng Honey Tangerine” by Premier Zhou Enlai.
From 1998 to 20