Is the famous Northeastern dish, pine nut corn, authentic? The pine nut is the authentic flavor!

Pine nut corn is a traditional dish of the Han nationality. Among many delicacies, pine nut corn stands out for its unique flavor and nutritional value. It is not only a delicious dish with good color, aroma and taste, but also a delicious taste that makes people have endless aftertaste. In pine nut corn, you can feel the oily aroma of pine nuts, the sweetness of corn, and the complex taste of the mixture of the two. This layered change of taste allows people to constantly discover new flavors in the process of tasting. Pine nuts have a natural oily aroma. After roasting or frying, this aroma is more intense and can stimulate people's appetite. So what kind of pine tree are the pine nuts in pine nut corn?

In fact, the most authentic pine nut corn should use pine nuts from Pinus tabulaeformis. Doesn't this name sound a bit like an ancient knight who has special skills but hides his identity in the mountains and forests? In fact, Pinus tabulaeformis is a very interesting and distinctive plant. It is a typical native tree species in Huzhong District, Daxing'anling. It is distributed over an area of ​​more than 70,000 hectares, ranking first in the country's forest areas. Its story and characteristics are also full of mystery and charm. Pinus tabulaeformis belongs to the genus Pinus of the Pinaceae family. The name comes from its unique growth habit - the branches are often flat on the ground, as if showing my humility to nature. The trunk of Pinus tabulaeformis is not tall, but it is very strong. The needles are arranged in clusters, with five needles in each cluster, which looks different. Moreover, the bark is also very distinctive. As it grows older, the bark will gradually thicken and form scales to protect Pinus tabulaeformis from cold and pests.

However, due to long-term predatory harvesting, the resources of Pinus tabulaeformis have been severely damaged and the annual output has dropped sharply. In response to this situation, since 2016, the Pinus tabulaeformis team of the Cold Temperate Forestry Center of the Chinese Academy of Forestry has started to investigate and collect Pinus tabulaeformis germplasm resources, and conducted germination and developmental biology research on Pinus tabulaeformis seeds. They have fully mastered the morphological, physiological and genetic characteristics of Pinus tabulaeformis seed germination and development, optimized the technical methods of seed germination, and established an efficient breeding technology system and resource evaluation system on this basis.

In 2020, the construction project of the Pinus sylvatica National Germplasm Resource Bank of Huzhong Forestry Bureau was implemented, which greatly promoted the process of Pinus sylvatica resource protection and promoted the in-depth excavation and utilization of Pinus sylvatica's characteristic resources. After years of hard work, with the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology's basic survey project, the germplasm resource bank construction project, the "Academy Fund" of the Chinese Academy of Forestry and other projects, the Cold Temperate Forestry Center, together with Huzhong Forestry Bureau, Inner Mongolia Forest Industry Group and other units, has completed the collection and preservation of more than 700 Pinus sylvatica germplasm resources, with an original preservation area of ​​158 hectares, established more than 20 Pinus sylvatica experimental plots, bred more than 100,000 excellent seedlings using light substrates, grafted more than 6,000 excellent clone seedlings, and cultivated 200,000 hectares of natural forests.

As we get to know Pinus tabulaeformis more deeply, we can easily find that this seemingly ordinary tree actually contains rich ecological wisdom and survival strategies. With its unique growth habits and tenacious vitality, Pinus tabulaeformis plays an important role in nature, not only contributing to the stability of forest ecosystems, but also providing valuable natural resources for humans.