🌿 Jixi Mountains and Wilderness: The Secret Land of “National Protected” Plants in the East China Species Gene Bank
Located at the intersection of Huangshan Mountain and Tianmu Mountain, Jixi relies on its unique subtropical monsoon climate and three-dimensional landforms to create a land with biodiversity known as the "East China Species Gene Bank". There are now more than 1,000 species of seed plants in 120 families here, of which more than 30 species are under national key protection. Walking into the valley where Jixi belongs, you may inadvertently encounter wild yew, an ancient tree species that has existed on the earth for about 2.5 million years. The paclitaxel extracted from it is a key method used in modern medicine to fight cancer. There is a place called Qingliangfeng National Nature Reserve, where there are Jixi native torreya trees that are close together. They are more than a hundred years old. The fruit they produce has a very thin shell, but the flesh inside is very full. It also has a refreshing smell unique to the fir forest. This smell is the original taste of the mountains that no grafted seedling can reproduce. These very rare plants not only build an ecological barrier in the Yangtze River Delta region, but also make "Jixi Green" a natural endorsement of high-end forest products and authentic medicinal materials.
🥩 Wannan black pig: 400-year flavor code in a national breeding farm
In the deep mountain farm of Jixi, there is a group of Wannan black pigs living. Their fur is dark in color and their limbs are very strong. In 2024, the National Wannan Black Pig Breeding Conservation Farm successfully passed the inspection of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, which means that this endangered local germplasm resource has been systematically protected in Jixi. Jixi Wannan black pig is different from the common lean pigs on the market. It needs to be raised slowly for more than 300 days. The intermuscular fat is distributed like snowflakes. It does not need too many seasonings when cooking. It can exude a rich meat aroma by just boiling it with water. Jixi ham made from it has been naturally fermented in the draft of Dengyuan Valley for more than two years. The lean meat is crimson in color and the fat is as moist as jade. It is so thin that it can transmit light after being sliced. It is the soul of Anhui cuisine "Stewed Ham" and "Stewed Turtle with Ham". This mellow flavor of meat fat that travels through time is the ultimate insistence of Jixi people on the authenticity of food ingredients.
🥒 Jixi Cucumber: crisp memories in the national science and technology courtyard
When we talk about the scenery of Jixi, we have to talk about the crisp and refreshing Jixi cucumber. In 2024, Jixi Cucumber Science and Technology Yard was selected as a national science and technology yard, injecting technology into this local variety with a cultivation history of more than 400 years. At the core, Jixi cucumber is not a juvenile form of ordinary cucumbers, but an independent farm variety. It has a short and fat melon shape, a light green skin, and few thorns. Its biggest feature is that it tastes like a fruit when eaten raw, and it will taste better after pickling. Picking it with morning dew, there is a "click" when you bite it, and the juice bursts out instantly, with a light sweet aroma and fresh melon aroma. On the dining table of Jixi people, it can be pounded with garlic and stir-fried. It is also an excellent raw material for making Jixi pickled cucumbers. It is marinated in local earthen jars and old salt for many months. It is sour, crisp and appetizing. It is a "table side dish" that goes with porridge and rice. This little cucumber has one end related to the on-site protection of the national scientific research team, and the other end related to the nostalgia on the tongues of thousands of households.
🍵 Jinshan Shigure: Orchid fragrance and ancient charm in the core production area
Jinsha Town Alpine Tea Garden is located at an altitude of more than 800 meters, where clouds and mist surround it all year round, giving birth to the famous historical tea Jinshan Shigure. Jinshan Shiyu is a geographical indication product of Jixi. It has tight and thin cords and looming pekoe. After brewing, the soup color is clear and bright, and the compound aroma is quiet, which is the aroma of orchids and cooked chestnuts. This is the result of hundreds of years of integration between tea trees planted by local groups and the climate of the mountain farm. It is also inseparable from the traditional craftsmanship of "three frying and three kneading" adhered to by Jixi tea people. Jinshan Shigure, which has the characteristics of a true core production area, shows a fresh and mellow state when entering the mouth. Its sweetness is quite rapid and lasts for a long time. The bottom of the leaves is light green and even. In the context of tea culture in the hometown of Huizhou merchants, it is a symbol of "Jia Er loves Confucianism". A cup of high-quality tea needs to be savored slowly, just like the persistent attitude of Jixi people towards quality. They are not impatient at all and have a unique world of their own.
🌾 Jingzhou pecan: the "noble nut" growing on the limestone mountains
Jingzhou Township borders Lin'an and is the core pecan production area in Jixi. In the production area, you can taste pecan trees with thin and firm shells and plump flesh. These trees bear fruit after enduring wind and frost in the limestone mountainous area. Jixi pecans have the characteristic of being seasoned with only a small amount of salt and relying on the traditional charcoal roasting process passed down from the local area to maximize the original flavor of the nuts, that is, they are rich in milky aroma, slightly sweet but not astringent. After more than ten processes, including removal, drying, flotation, steaming, and baking, each pecan finally becomes the finished product, which is brown-red in color, crisp and delicious. As a national geographical indication product, Jixi pecans are not only a delicious snack after dinner, but also the "hard currency" used by Huizhou people to entertain guests during holidays. Presenting such a scene, a handful of Jixi pecans, which are national geographical indications, and a pot of Jinshan Shiyu, this is the most authentic and unique Huizhou afternoon time.
From the rare plants at Qingliang Peak, to the Wannan black pigs in Dengyuan River, from the Jixi cucumbers in the Science and Technology Courtyard, to the Jinshan Shiyu in the Jinsha Mountains, Jixi, through its pure ecology and thousands of years of farming wisdom, has presented the world with batches of local specialties. They are not only nationally certified products with geographical indications, but also the true taste of mountains and waters that can be traced back to their source. In Jixi, every specialty product is loaded with the gift of a specific microclimate and the dedication of generations of farmers. It is the strongest guarantee of the authentic characteristics of the place of origin.
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