HANGZHOU/BERLIN, June 28 (Xinhua) -- How long does it take for a perishable waxberry to travel over 9,000 km from a tree branch in rural China to a dining table in Germany? Just 48 hours.

In a quiet Frankfurt neighborhood earlier this week, bowls of fresh, jewel-like waxberries glistened with condensation. Curious locals gathered around, drawn in by the fruit's deep red hue and glossy sheen. Many were enjoying it for the first time.

"It's unlike anything I've had before," said a German customer, visibly surprised after his first bite. "It's tangy, sweet, very flavorful and definitely exotic in the best way."

For others, the taste evokes something much deeper. "Waxberries were my favorite fruit growing up. The ones I tasted here today in Frankfurt is exactly like the ones from my hometown," said Zheng Jianguo from China, who has been living in Germany for 25 years.

48 HOURS FOR 9,000 KM

Just 48 hours earlier, these plump, juice-filled Dongkui waxberries, known for their large size and high sugar content, were still clinging to branches at an orchard in Wencheng County, east China's Zhejiang Province.

It was early dawn in midsummer. Layers of mist drifted across the terraced slopes as the day quietly began. At 6 a.m. on Monday (2200 GMT, Sunday), a delivery worker carefully loaded boxes of freshly packed waxberries onto a refrigerated truck. With the clock ticking, the vehicle began its race to the airport, marking the first leg of a 9,000-kilometer journey.

"This shipment marks the first batch of Dongkui waxberries from Wencheng County to be exported overseas in 2025, and the first time they're being shipped to Frankfurt," said Zhao Chengdong, a senior official with Wencheng County's bureau of agriculture and rural affairs.

To ensure peak freshness, the waxberries were swiftly harvested, sorted, packaged, pre-cooled, and transported under tightly controlled cold-chain conditions. "(To transport) fresh fruit is always a race against time, and waxberries are especially delicate," Zhao noted. "From orchard to export, every step had to be executed with precision."

PRESERVING TASTE, ENSURING QUALITY

In recent years, with strong support from the local government, many farmers in Wencheng have embraced advanced techniques in both waxberry cultivation and post-harvest handling.

Among them is Zhao Hanming, head of Xinmo'er family farm, who leveraged upgraded technology and facilities to successfully register his farm this year as a certified export fruit packaging site. He was also tasked with preparing the waxberries for this shipment to Germany.

"The waxberries are sealed using nitrogen-flush technology, a method that replaces oxygen inside the packaging with nitrogen to slow down oxidation and spoilage," Zhao said. "This helps the berries to stay fresh for up to 10 days under refrigeration, allowing customers in Germany to enjoy a taste that's nearly as fresh as what we have back home in China."

The efforts paid off. "Following a thorough inspection by German quarantine authorities, the waxberries passed all import checks and cleared customs without delay," said Xu Xian, managing director at Transall Internationale Spedition GmbH in Germany. "They even told us they welcome more fruit exports from China to Germany and across Europe."

Within just four hours after landing at the Frankfurt Airport, the waxberries had passed inspection, cleared customs, and were ready for market.

WAXBERRIES WITHOUT BORDERS

Waxberries are Wencheng's largest agricultural product, grown across 66,500 mu (about 4,400 hectares), with an annual output of 28,000 tonnes and a value of 320 million yuan (44.7 million U.S. dollars). The industry supports over 22,000 local farmers and is often called the county's "fruit of shared prosperity."

As output has grown, so has the ambition to reach overseas markets. In recent years, Wencheng waxberries have been exported to countries including the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Italy, and Spain, gradually carving out a presence beyond Asia.

For growers like Zhao Dagen, this shift is more than just economic. "Getting my fruit into international markets showed me new possibilities I hadn't considered before," he said. "It motivates me to grow even better waxberries, and I hope more people around the world will get to taste them."

The latest shipment to Frankfurt marks a new milestone, not just for the county, but as part of a broader trend. According to German customs data, China has become one of Germany's top Asian partners for agri-food exports in 2023, while imports of Chinese fruit products have continued to rise as well.

"Next up, we're planning to bring high-quality yam and glass noodles from Wencheng to tables around the world," said Zhao Chengdong, the local official. ■