Dunhuang Grapes

Dunhuang grapes are a specialty of Dunhuang City, Gansu Province, and a national geographical indication product of China.

Among the grapes grown in Dunhuang, the Red Globe grape is also called "red grape". Its skin is dark purple, and its flesh is hard, crisp, sweet and delicious. Among the many varieties of fresh-eating grapes, the Red Globe is particularly resistant to storage and transportation, and the fruit is not easy to fall off, crack or be squeezed, which provides favorable conditions for long-distance transportation of grapes. The climate conditions in Dunhuang are very similar to those in California, the United States, where the Red Globe grape originated. After the Red Globe was introduced to Dunhuang in 1998, its cultivation performance was very good, comparable to similar products in the United States and Chile. The sugar content of the Red Globe is generally between 18% and 20%, while the sugar content of the Red Globe in Dunhuang can reach up to 27.6%.

On December 27, 2012, the former General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for "Dunhuang Grapes".

Dunhuang grapes: Red Globe grapes, with nearly round berries, medium-thick skin, bright red to dark red, crisp and hard flesh, and sweet taste; Dunhuang grapes: Seedless white grapes: with oval berries, thin skin, green-yellow. The flesh is crisp, less juicy and seedless, sweet and sour, and of excellent quality.

The history of grape cultivation in Dunhuang can be traced back to the Han and Wei dynasties. The Shennong Herbal Classic, a pharmacopoeia at the time, recorded that "grapes grow in Wuyuan, Longxi and Dunhuang."

Dunhuang is a traditional grain and cotton planting base. At the end of the last century, Dunhuang began to adjust its agricultural industrial structure and guided farmers to develop fresh grapes. However, influenced by traditional planting concepts and backward planting technology, the total amount of grapes was small and sales were difficult. There was also the painful experience of "planting grapes in spring and removing seedlings in autumn".

The Dunhuang grape producing area covers the current administrative areas of 10 towns and villages, including Shazhou Town, Qili Town, Suzhou Town, Zhuanqukou Town, Mogao Town, Yangguan Town, Crescent Lake Town, Guojiabao Town, Huangqu Township and the state-owned Dunhuang Farm in Dunhuang City, Gansu Province.

Maturity time: mid-August to early September for Seedless White and mid-September to early October for Red Globe.

Harvesting: Pick on a sunny day. The fruit clusters should be packed with stems in the fruit boxes, with the stems facing downwards and not exposed to the outside. The boxes should be packed evenly and neatly. It is generally appropriate to place 1 to 2 layers of fruit clusters in the fruit boxes.