What Special Local Products Does Kaiping Have?

Kaiping Guanghe fermented bean curd is mainly made from high-quality soybeans and pickled with various traditional auxiliary ingredients. It is not only a delicious side dish for daily meals, but also an excellent seasoning for teahouses, restaurants and hotels. It features a golden yellow colour, well-balanced saltiness, rich fragrant flavour, silky texture and melts instantly in the mouth. The product has won national gold awards many times, sold all over China, and exported to more than 30 countries and regions including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Jinshan fire garlic was first planted in Qinglongli, Shuxia, Shuikou during the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. Later, its cultivation gradually expanded to Siqian, Xinwu and Jinshan on a large scale, becoming a major export agricultural product of Kaiping. It got its name "Jinshan Fire Garlic" because large quantities were shipped for export via Jinshan Wharf. Its flesh is porcelain-white, thick, high in oil content, rich in aroma and gelatin, with bead-shaped fibrous veins visible on the cross-section.

A famous premium traditional specialty of Shuikou Town, Kaiping, Shuikou Chinese cabbage has a cultivation history of over 300 years. It features short stalks, thick stems and spoon-shaped leaves. Its white stalks and dark green leaves look like vases. Rich in chlorophyll and vitamins, it tastes fresh, sweet and crisp. Besides domestic sales, dried Shuikou Chinese cabbage is exported to Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia. It is bred by screening and purifying mutated cabbages and reserving seeds for self-breeding. It can be grown all year round with a short growth cycle, strong adaptability, high stress resistance, easy cultivation and management, and a high yield.

Grown in Beitouzui Village, Magang Town, Beitou Guiwei lychee was transplanted from Zengcheng in 1915 by Wu Wenxi, an overseas Chinese in Canada. It has thick, crisp flesh with an osmanthus fragrance and dark green patches near the fruit shoulders, hence also known as Yatoulü Guiwei lychee. Many overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macau travel in groups to Beitouzui to taste the lychees. Beitouzui Guiwei lychee enjoys a great reputation across Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

Produced in Lianzhu, Shagang Sub-district, Lianzhu fruit sugarcane is a famous specialty of Kaiping. The Lianzhu area borders the Tanjiang River with fertile soil. Over a hundred years ago, local villagers cultivated a sugarcane variety with a slender shape, plump internodes and pale yellow skin, named wax sugarcane. Later, it was commonly called fruit sugarcane for its fresh sweet fruity taste and cooling property that does not cause internal heatiness. Fruit sugarcane is generally planted between February and March each year and harvested in December. Nowadays, almost every household in Lianzhu owns sugarcane fields, planting 1 to 2 mu of fruit sugarcane per family.

Originally called local melon or sand yam, it is named after Jinji Town where it is produced, making it a renowned local specialty of Kaiping. Jinji pachyrhizus has been cultivated since 1891. It has thin skin, white flesh, abundant juice and a smooth, sweet and crisp texture. It can be eaten raw or cooked, with its flavour best when cooked. Every year, a large number of merchants come to purchase Jinji pachyrhizus, with the highest output and finest quality in the TianTian and Gaoxi Village areas.

Longsheng sweet mandarins have been grown since 1969. They have thin, attractive peel, sweet fragrant taste and few seeds, and are rich in vitamins and fruit acids. Varieties include Yangshan mandarin, October mandarin and New Year mandarin. Star fruit, guava and chayote were all introduced from Taiwan. The star fruit bears big, tender fruit with a fresh sweet taste. Guava, originally named bale, is crisp and sweet, with varieties such as Century Guava, Four-Season Guava, Pearl Guava, Crystal Guava and Seedless Guava. Chayote serves as a beverage condiment and can also be eaten fresh, featuring golden flesh with a delicate fragrance.

Manufactured by Kaiping Jiashili Biscuit Co., Ltd., many of its biscuit series have been rated as national high-quality products. The Mandarin Duck Sandwich Biscuit won the title of China Famous Brand Product in 1994. Nutritional Breakfast Biscuits, Letter B Biscuits and fancy wafers were awarded the Excellent Four-New Products Award of the Provincial Light Industry in 1994, while Fresh Scallion Soda Crackers earned the Ministry-level High-Quality Product Award in 1997. Jiashili biscuits are sold far to many countries and regions including the United States, Canada, the Middle East and Hong Kong, ranking among the top enterprises in the national biscuit industry.

Produced by Master Food (Group) Condiment Co., Ltd., Weijixian Soy Sauce won the Ministry-level High-Quality Product Award in 1991 and was named a Famous Brand Product of China’s Food Industry in 1994. Made from premium soybeans and flour as raw materials, it is refined by combining traditional craftsmanship with modern processing techniques. It has a bright ruddy colour, rich fermented soybean aroma and abundant nutritional value.

Produced in Dongshan Town, the area boasts vast woodlands and abundant nectar sources, making it an ideal honey-producing region. Among all local honey types, the winter-harvested Saoguanzi honey boasts the finest quality and high output. There are nearly 300 professional beekeeping households in the town, accounting for about 9% of all local families. Favoured by overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao for its superior quality, Dongshan Honey attracts many buyers who make special trips to the town to purchase it.

One of Guangdong’s fine local goose breeds, it originates from Magang Town, Kaiping and thus named Magang Goose. It has a moderate body size, black head, beak and feet, grey-black plumage, a large head, thick neck, broad chest and long legs. It features thin skin, fine tender meat grain, moderate fat and delicious flavour. In addition, Magang geese have strong disease resistance, grow fast on simple feed, reach maturity early and lay plenty of eggs, selling well both domestically and overseas.

Grown in Cangcheng Town, Tanbi winter melon has a cultivation history of more than 200 years. Slightly smaller than ordinary winter melons, each weighs about 3 kilograms. It has thick flesh, sparse seeds, firm pulp and a fresh sweet crisp texture. It is highly storable, retaining moisture without mildewing after long-term storage, and helps clear summer heat and relieve fever