Basic Introduction to Yunan Seedless Yellow Loquat
The Yunan Seedless Yellow Loquat originated in Jiancheng Town, Yunan County. There are currently two mother trees that are over 100 years old and still grow vigorously, bearing abundant fruit.
The Yunan Seedless Yellow Loquat is renowned for its large size, thick flesh, delicious taste, and seedlessness, making it a rarity among yellow loquats. On average, a single fruit weighs 12 grams, with the largest reaching 29.3 grams. Its pulp contains 18.6% soluble solids; the ratio of sugar to acid is 10.7:1, and it has 1.74% citric acid. In every 100 grams of juice, there are 43.8 milligrams of vitamin C. It is 95% seedless and has an edible rate of 79.4%, making it highly prized.
Product Characteristics
The Yunan Seedless Yellow Loquat is a specialty of Yunan County, Guangdong Province. Due to the presence of the mother tree in Yunan, along with unique climatic and soil conditions and high-quality water resources, the Yunan Seedless Yellow Loquat stands out for being seedless, having large fruits, thick flesh, ample juice, fresh color, excellent taste, no residue, moderate sweetness and sourness, thin skin, yellowish-white flesh, and firm, tender texture. It is considered one of the finest varieties among China's ten yellow loquat types.
Historical and Folklore Background
During the Republic of China period, Zeng Naiyan from Jiancheng, Yunan, returned home in 1934 after serving as the county magistrate of Lechang. He then built the “Qian Yuan” villa. Elders in his clan said that yellow loquat is a righteous fruit that brings good fortune to the house and maintains righteousness. Therefore, Zeng Naiyan had people collect and select a batch of excellent fruit varieties for planting in the “Qian Yuan” villa. After several years, the fruit trees grew lush and prosperous, and gradually began to bear fruit. One summer, his daughter came back from afar to visit her father, who was entertaining guests in the hall, engaged in lively discussions. After greeting everyone, she left the living room and strolled among the fruit trees in the villa, admiring the villa nestled among the greenery, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility. When she reached the yellow loquat tree, she noticed that the tree, which hadn't flowered the previous year, was now bearing fruit, some of which had turned a golden yellow, catching her eye. She picked some and tasted them, finding them all seedless. Thus, these two yellow loquat trees became the authentic mother trees of the seedless variety. As of the early 21st century, they were still flourishing with abundant fruit. The mother trees were 4.5-5.0 meters tall, with a crown diameter of 6.5-7.0 meters. The trunk was sturdy, with a circumference of 26.5 cm at 60 cm above ground level, before branching into three main limbs, forming a natural round canopy. The leaves were dark green, and the trees grew lushly, producing full branches of fruit each year, yielding approximately 125-175 kg.
Awards and Honors
In 1964, experts from the Fruit Research Institute of the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences confirmed it as one of the superior and rare fruits in Guangdong Province. In 1986, it was awarded as a high-quality fruit at the second evaluation meeting of superior and rare fruits in Guangdong Province. The “Yujiang Brand” Yunan Seedless Yellow Loquat received the title of “International Agriculture Gold Award Famous Product” in 2001. In 2002, Yunan County was named “China Seedless Yellow Loquat Hometown.” In 2003, it passed the national green food certification. In 2004, it obtained geographical indication product protection. In 2005, it won the title of “Chinese Famous Fruit.” In 2007, it received the title of “Guangdong People's Favorite Local Specialty.” In 2009, it received organic food certification from the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre.