Where is the latest production area distribution of chestnuts?

The production area of chestnuts originated in China, and they are now distributed in Vietnam, Taiwan, and mainland China, growing in areas at an altitude of 370-2800 m, mostly found in mountainous regions, and have been widely cultivated artificially. Chestnuts are most famous for Luotian in Hubei and Qianxi chestnuts in China.

Luotian Chestnuts

“Silkworms spin silk, bees make honey, trees yield oil, and mountains produce chestnuts” - this is the specialty that the people of Luotian in the Dabie Mountain area of eastern Hubei are proud of, and the pride that has enabled them to prosper. Luotian began artificial cultivation of chestnuts before the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. There are many varieties with unique color and flavor, and the production areas are distributed throughout the county, but their products sold externally are all labeled “Luotian Chestnuts”.

The unique quality and reputation of Luotian chestnuts have attracted many foreigners. Professor Loton from Auburn University in the United States traveled a long distance to Luotian for an investigation. After an on-site investigation of Luotian chestnut varieties, he believed that Luotian is a "world gene bank of chestnuts", and actively introduced American businesspeople to come to Luotian, China, to develop a series of chestnut products. Experts from Japan, Canada, Italy, and other countries have visited Luotian more than 20 times for investigations, and were amazed by the quality of its chestnuts. It is said that after importing Luotian chestnuts, Japan processes them into uniquely flavored chestnut foods and calls them "ginseng fruit".

Qianxi Chestnuts

“China's chestnuts belong to Jingdong, and Jingdong's chestnuts belong to Qianxi.” Qianxi County is located at the southern foot of the Yanshan Mountains, at the foot of the Great Wall, and on the banks of the Luan River. Qianxi chestnuts are a traditional specialty agricultural product of Hebei Province, with a cultivation history of more than 2000 years to date. The unique soil and climate conditions create their excellent taste and flavor. The products are mainly sold to the United States, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan regions, and more than 60 large and medium-sized cities in China such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Dalian, Shenzhen, and Kunming, and are deeply loved by consumers at home and abroad.

Qianxi chestnuts are exquisite in shape, bright in color, and do not stick to the inner skin; the kernel is beige, highly glutinous, sweet and aromatic, with an excellent taste; they are rich in vitamins, carotene, amino acids, and trace elements such as iron and calcium. Long-term consumption can achieve health benefits such as nourishing the stomach, strengthening the spleen, tonifying the kidneys, and beautifying the face. They have the reputation of the Oriental “pearl” and “purple jade”, and are called by Japanese people “the best food among Chinese sweet chestnuts”.

Qianxi chestnuts grow in a purely natural wild state, without chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and farmers harvest them by picking up naturally fallen fruit. The chestnuts have good maturity, high sugar content, are resistant to storage, and are rarely damaged by insects. The cultivation area of Qianxi chestnuts has reached 600,000 mu and 30 million trees, all of which have passed the pollution-free fruit production area certification of Hebei Province, and the annual output has reached more than 20,000 tons. In 2004, Qianxi County won the “Special Award of the Top Ten Counties in the National Chestnut Industry”; in 2005, the “Qianxi Chestnut” certification trademark was rated as a “Famous Trademark of Hebei Province”.

Dandong Chestnuts

Dandong chestnuts are produced in Dandong City, Liaoning Province. The cultivation of Dandong chestnuts began in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The fruit is called chestnut, and can be eaten raw, candied and roasted, or baked; it can also be made into canned food, ground into flour to make cakes, and used in soups and cooked dishes. It contains sugar, protein, fat, and various vitamins, and has high nutritional and economic value. In December 2006, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine approved geographical indication product protection for Dandong chestnuts.

Dandong chestnuts are an advantageous economic forest tree species in the Dandong area, mainly cultivated on mountains, with very few grown on flat land. The total number of chestnut trees has reached more than 65 million. Among them, large trees over 40 years old were mainly planted in the 1960s, about 10 million trees; 20-30-year-old chestnut trees were mainly planted in the 1980s, more than 15 million trees; after the 1990s, the cultivation area of Dandong chestnuts expanded rapidly. By 2002, in more than ten years, the number of chestnut trees had increased by more than 30 million. The main varieties include Jinhua, Yuewang, Danze, Liping, Youmo, Tu60, 9113, 9210, and more than 20 other varieties. The area of improved chestnut varieties has reached 3.82×104ha

Dandong chestnuts are famous for their excellent quality. Their fruit is large, white in color, good in taste, does not split open, is easy to process, and has high comprehensive value. The water content of the kernel is about 40%, containing 5.7%-10.7% protein, %-7.4% fat, about 50% starch, and also contains vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and various minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and boron.

Yanshan Chestnuts

The Yanshan Mountains are a famous mountain range in northern China. Chestnut cultivation in the region began to take shape during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, with a history of 2000 years to date. Yanshan chestnuts have been enjoyed by imperial courts through the ages because of their characteristics such as thin skin, thick kernel, and fresh sweetness with long-lasting flavor. In Xiwangzi Village, Shicheng Town, within the Yanshan region, chestnut trees grow all over the mountains, and there are hundreds of chestnut trees more than a hundred years old, so it is called the “source of Yanshan chestnuts”.