With over 2,000 years of cultivation history, Cangshan garlic is a specialty produced in Lanling county (previously known as Cangshan county), Linyi, Shandong province.

Boasting rich nutrition and high medicinal value, Cangshan garlic was listed as a national geographical indication protection product in 2007.

National protected geographical indication products refer to those produced in a specific area whose natural environment, historical background or cultural connotation is key to the quality and characteristics of the products.

Cangshan garlic is a national geographical indication protection product. [Photo/Linyi Daily]

"After the Cangshan garlic was registered as a geographical indication product, the market value of the product increased greatly, both at home and abroad, thereby significantly increasing the income of local farmers," a local official said.

In 2018, the brand value of Cangshan garlic reached 27.52 billion yuan ($4.35 billion).

In March 2021, a bilateral geographical indication agreement between China and Europe went into effect, and Cangshan garlic was added to the list of China's 100 geographical indications protected in the EU, opening the door to better prices and global markets.

Processed Cangshan garlic [Photo/Linyi Daily]

Lanling county has a garlic planting area of 20,000 hectares. The county has more than 450 garlic-related enterprises, with an annual storage and processing capacity of more than 1 million tons.

Locally produced garlic products are sold all over the country, and exported to more than 50 countries and regions including Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States.