Bride’s dowry of 60kg dried tangerine peel rivals gold’s value
A wedding dowry, traditionally consisting of gold, silver, and jewellery, took an unexpected turn when a bride’s father prepared 60 kilogrammes of dried tangerine peel as the dowry for his daughter’s marriage. This unconventional gift, typically reserved for monetary or valuable assets, has raised eyebrows and curiosity regarding its true worth.
Parents universally dream of their children finding love and hosting a joyful wedding celebration. As societies evolve, more parents are preparing dowries for their children from an early age, traditionally comprising money, property, jewellery, gems, or inherited assets.
However, in a recent Chinese wedding, the bride’s family presented dried tangerine peel as an extraordinary gift, sparking widespread intrigue about the value of these dried citrus peels and their suitability as a wedding present.
Experts have indicated that such dried sweet tangerine peels are, in fact, highly valuable. If sold on the market with high quality, they could fetch prices comparable to pure gold. For the bride, these dried peels are arguably more precious than gold, given that they represent a family heirloom, meticulously prepared by her father over two decades. The gift symbolises not just material value but also embodies years of paternal love and commitment, reported Sanook.
The bride recounted that since she was 10 years old, her father has dedicated several hectares of land to cultivating sweet tangerines. Each harvest season, he would select the finest fruits, peel them, dry the peels, and carefully preserve them. For 20 years, the father continued this tradition, storing the peels in giant glass jars, awaiting the day he could present them to his daughter.
It is well-known that dried sweet tangerine peel is a costly commodity. After years of drying and sealing, the peel turns black, and the older it is, the more exquisite its flavour becomes. Not only does the taste improve over time, but the peel also contains numerous ingredients beneficial for preventing illness.
In the city of Tenhoi, Vietnam, considered the capital of dried sweet tangerine peel, a 10 year old peel is valued at 42 million dongs per kilogramme (60,000 baht) and the price increases significantly for 20 year old peels.
