Shan Zhu Yu, also known as Shu Zao or Zao Pi, is the flesh of the fruit of the Shan Zhu Yu plant in the Rosaceae family. It has a slightly warm nature and sour taste, and is known for its ability to nourish the liver and kidneys, astringe essence and qi, and strengthen the body. It is commonly used in the treatment of dizziness and tinnitus, lumbago and knee pain, impotence and premature ejaculation, frequent urination and nocturnal enuresis, excessive sweating and deficiency, and internal heat and polydipsia. It is a commonly used Chinese medicine for nourishing the kidneys and liver. Some unscrupulous traders, driven by profit, may use the fruits of the Berberidaceae plant Huang Lu Mu (Tai Shan Yu Rou), the fruits of the Rosaceae plant Shan Li Hong (wild hawthorn), or dried cherry peel to pass off as Shan Zhu Yu. It is important to be able to distinguish between genuine and fake Shan Zhu Yu when using it.
Genuine Shan Zhu Yu:
The dried and mature fruit flesh is irregularly shaped or pouch-like, with the fruit skin cracked and shriveled. It is about 1.5 centimeters long and 0.5 centimeters wide. The surface of fresh Shan Zhu Yu is purplish-red, while aged ones are mostly purplish-black and glossy. The base sometimes has a fruit stalk mark, and the top has a circular calyx scar. The flesh is soft and not easily broken. It has a faint aroma and tastes sour, astringent, and slightly bitter.
Fake Shan Zhu Yu:
Tai Shan Yu Rou: The intact fruit is oval-shaped, with thin flesh that is reddish-brown and extremely sour. It contains two seeds that are opposite each other, slightly spindle-shaped, with one side flat and the other side raised. The surface is brown or yellowish-brown, slightly smooth, and hard in texture. When broken open, the seeds are white, oily, and have a mild taste.
Wild Hawthorn: It has a round or flattened spherical shape, with a brownish-red surface with fine wrinkles and shrivels. The flesh is thin, and there is a circular depression calyx scar at the top and a fruit stalk mark at the base. It lacks glossiness and has a hard texture. There are several reddish-brown seeds similar in size to sesame seeds inside. It has a faint aroma and tastes extremely sour.
Cherry Peel: It is irregularly shaped or cylindrical, with wrinkled surface and purplish-red or purple color. It has a glossy appearance and the inner surface is not smooth, with small grayish-white spots. It has a faint aroma and tastes sour and slightly sweet and astringent.
These fake products do not belong to the same family as Shan Zhu Yu, nor do they possess the various functions of Shan Zhu Yu. They do not have the ability to nourish the kidneys and liver, and may even cause adverse reactions or delay treatment. Therefore, it is important to be able to distinguish between genuine and fake products to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the medicine.
Additionally, it should be noted that medicinal Shan Zhu Yu should have a clean flesh, and the fruit kernel content should not exceed 3% to 5%. If there are too many fruit kernels in Shan Zhu Yu, it is considered to be substandard and of poor quality.
