What Special Local Products Are There in Rizhao, Shandong?

Thanks to the favourable coastal climate and excellent ecological environment, Rizhao Green Tea boasts unique characteristics: thick leaves, rich taste, strong fragrance and good resistance to repeated brewing. For this reason, it is praised as the No.1 Tea North of the Yangtze River.

Rizhao peanuts feature big, plump kernels with a sweet and delicious flavour, rich but not greasy. They enjoy great popularity both at home and abroad. Peanut cultivation here has a long history with mature farming techniques. Rizhao is a national base for peanut export. More than 100,000 tons of peanut products are processed annually, including peanut butter, refined peanut oil and blanched peanuts.

Ginkgo leaves, nuts and bark have high medicinal and edible value. Flavone glycosides and terpene lactones extracted from ginkgo leaves are especially effective in treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. They also help delay ageing, resist viruses and inhibit cancer growth. Medicines, food, health supplements and cosmetics made from ginkgo are popular worldwide. The so-called Oldest Ginkgo Tree Under Heaven grows in Fulailaishan Town.

Cuttlefish roe is a rare seafood exclusive to Rizhao, famous at home and abroad for centuries. It is processed from the nidamental glands of golden cuttlefish native to Rizhao. Milky white and oval-shaped, it can be made by chefs into exquisite dishes thin as paper and shaped like flower petals. This delicacy is treasured for its rich nutrition and delicious taste. It dispels cold in winter and relieves summer heat, and contains a variety of trace elements essential to the human body.

Black pottery stands as a symbol of ancient Chinese civilisation. Pottery-making in Rizhao dates back more than 4,500 years. The eggshell-thin perforated stemmed cup unearthed from Liangcheng and Donghaiyu in Rizhao belongs to the Longshan Culture. Extremely thin, lightweight, jet-black and glossy, it represents unsurpassed craftsmanship unmatched anywhere in the world. Archaeologists, historians and cultural relic experts worldwide recognise it as the pinnacle of Longshan Culture. It has been designated a national treasure for state collection.