Huang Jing is a commonly used tonic traditional Chinese medicine. Many people use it for health purposes, such as making soup or soaking in alcohol. However, when purchasing Huang Jing, one may find that there are different qualities available. So, what are the differences?
Appearance Differences
Huang Jing can be divided into three types: ginger-shaped Huang Jing, chicken head Huang Jing, and big Huang Jing. Although they are all called Huang Jing, ginger-shaped Huang Jing has the best quality.
Ginger-shaped Huang Jing: The original plant is Polygonatum sibiricum, with fleshy and thick rhizomes that are irregularly shaped or nodular. The surface is yellow-brown to dark brown, rougher, and resembles fresh ginger.
Chicken head Huang Jing: The original plant is Huang Jing, with cylindrical rhizomes and a swollen tip, with one or several short protrusions or branches. The surface is yellow-white or yellow-brown, with numerous fine longitudinal wrinkles.
Big Huang Jing: The original plant is Dian Huang Jing, with thick and bead-like rhizomes, irregular wrinkles on the surface, and each node has a stem base. It is hard in texture and has a pale yellow to yellow-brown cross-section.
Origin Differences
Due to the differences in quality, besides distinguishing them by appearance, they also have different main producing areas.
Ginger-shaped Huang Jing: Mainly produced in provinces such as Guizhou, Hunan, Sichuan, Hubei, Anhui, Zhejiang; regions such as Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, etc.
Chicken head Huang Jing: Mainly produced in provinces such as Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, etc.
Big Huang Jing: Mainly produced in Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and other places.
Taste Differences
According to the taste of the original plant, Huang Jing can be divided into sweet Huang Jing and bitter Huang Jing. In the 2010 Pharmacopoeia, it is specified that bitter taste is not suitable for medicinal use. Therefore, when buying, we can distinguish the quality of Huang Jing by tasting it. Sweet Huang Jing tastes sweet, while bitter Huang Jing tastes bitter. Good-quality Huang Jing not only has a sweet taste but also has stickiness and fleshy texture when chewed.
Price Differences
The quality of Huang Jing can also be judged by its price. Generally, smaller Huang Jing is relatively cheaper, usually around 20 yuan per kilogram, while larger Huang Jing with better quality is priced at more than 40 yuan per kilogram.
Distinguishing Real and Fake Huang Jing
When purchasing Huang Jing, we mostly buy processed Huang Jing, which is often counterfeited by unscrupulous merchants using sweet potatoes or hawthorns as substitutes. Below, we will introduce some methods to identify real and fake processed Huang Jing.
Look at the appearance
Genuine Huang Jing roots have nodules, while fake Huang Jing does not. Steamed processed Huang Jing does not leave black or black residue on the hands when touched. If there is, it is likely to be a counterfeit product that has been colored with powder.
Soak in water
After soaking genuine Huang Jing in boiling water for a while, the water will turn yellow. If the water turns black, it indicates that it may be a fake or inferior product.
Taste it
When chewing genuine processed Huang Jing, it has a fleshy texture, a sticky taste, and no residue in the mouth. Fake Huang Jing will taste bitter, sour, or overly sweet and greasy.
