Zhangjiajie Chestnuts, Pointed Chestnuts, and Large Beech Nuts
Chestnuts and pointed chestnuts (locally called "xuanli"), of the beech family, are woody plants mainly containing starch and sugars, widely distributed across Wulingyuan's scenic areas. They are perennial deciduous trees, generally 3 to 5 meters tall, up to about 10 meters. The trees bloom in late spring and early summer, grow through summer, and bear fruit in autumn. The fruit is spherical with a spiky husk, containing the chestnut inside.
This article has been compiled from historical materials on 'Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network' (33519.com · Specialty Foods / Cuisine / Customs section). Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements from merchants, scenic areas, and local competent authorities; the parts involving folk legends and folk customs are local historical and cultural anecdotes, provided for cultural reference.
Chestnuts and sharp chestnuts (commonly called "xuanli"), of the beech family, are woody plants mainly containing starch, sugar, and the like, and are widely distributed in all scenic areas of Wulingyuan District. They are perennial deciduous trees, generally 3 to 5 meters to about 10 meters tall. Chestnut trees bloom in late spring and early summer, grow in summer, and bear fruit in autumn. The fruit is spherical, with a prickly outer shell, while the inner chestnut is smooth and purple, so farmers have the riddle "Mother wears a thousand-needle shirt, child wears a purple dragon robe." After chestnuts mature, the outer shell naturally opens, and the chestnuts fall with the wind. Picking chestnuts in a chestnut grove is quite a pleasure. After "White Dew," chestnuts mature in large numbers, and the chestnut burrs all over the trees open their smiling mouths. When a rustling wind blows, the chestnuts patter down with the wind and roll into mountain gullies or low-lying places. If you are lucky, you can pick up one nest after another of chestnuts, sometimes dozens of jin.
Chestnuts can be eaten raw or cooked. There are two ways to eat them cooked: one is to break the shell and roast them; the other is to steam or boil them, and best of all to steam them with chicken or stew them with meat, when their flavor is both sweet and fragrant.
Fangli, of the Elaeocarpaceae family, is an evergreen oil tree. Its seeds contain very high oil content; generally 100 jin of seeds can press more than 50 jin of oil, higher than the oil yield of oil tea and rapeseed, and the oil quality is very good. The oil is snow-white, just like pork leaf fat. Fangli is rich in nutrition and is one of the foods macaques love most to eat, so it has long been known as "monkey's delight."
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