Huangzhou chrysanthemum and Hangbai chrysanthemum, Chu chrysanthemum and Bo chrysanthemum, and known as China's four great chrysanthemums (medicinal chrysanthemums), but only Huizhou chrysanthemum to "Gong" name.
The "Huangshan Gongju" is an excellent variety of chrysanthemum selected from a group of chrysanthemums, native to the area of Jinzhuling, Shexian County, which has both ornamental value and medicinal functions.
According to folklore, "Huangshan Gongju" was originally introduced as an ornamental chrysanthemum from Deqing County, Zhejiang Province, by Hui merchants in Song Dynasty. In a year of drought, many people got red eyes and headaches, and some people used fresh chrysanthemum to soak up the fire, which was very effective.
After that, people often use fresh chrysanthemum or dried chrysanthemum to make tea, to cure eye redness and shyness, gallbladder and heart dryness and other diseases. From then on, the farmers in this area planted chrysanthemums in front of and behind their houses, and in order to hide them for a long time, they baked them into dried chrysanthemums, which made Jinzhuling famous far and wide.
During the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty, red eye disease was spread in the Forbidden City of Beijing, and the Emperor ordered to visit famous doctors and good medicine, and the governor of Huizhou offered dried chrysanthemums of Huizhou to the people of Beijing who soaked and served them to cure the eye disease. So the chrysanthemum reputation was greatly revitalized, and was honored as "tribute chrysanthemum".
The chrysanthemum has always been treated as an important traditional Chinese medicine, and exported to Southeast Asia.
The production of "Huizhou Tribute Chrysanthemum" is very delicate. After the fresh chrysanthemums are picked, they are first dried in the shade with bamboo woven mats, and then baked with charcoal, and the finished product of the Tribute Chrysanthemums is better with big and white color. "The chrysanthemum has the functions of dispersing wind and heat, nourishing the liver and improving eyesight, cooling and detoxifying the body, and it can cure colds and flu, boils and poisons, high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis, etc.
The chrysanthemum can be used as a medicine for the treatment of colds and flu.
It can be used to make medicines such as Sangju Cold and Flu Tablets and beverages such as Chrysanthemum Crystals. "Huangshan chrysanthemum can be used to make tea and wine. Drinking chrysanthemum tea or chrysanthemum wine can "clean the five organs, detoxification and fitness", which can prolong the life of beauty. Drinking chrysanthemums dried in the sun as a pillow, so that people can cool down the fire, bright eyes and brain.
Anhui Huangshan chrysanthemum has become a product of national origin protection
When Huangshan chrysanthemum is in full bloom, chrysanthemum farmers are busy harvesting the time, chrysanthemum origin has ushered in the good news: Recently, Huangshan chrysanthemum has been approved by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the implementation of the protection of the region of origin of the yellow mountain chrysanthemum, the protection of the scope of the Shexian County, the current jurisdiction of the administrative region. China's Huangshan chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum, Chu chrysanthemum and Bo chrysanthemum, known as China's four famous chrysanthemum. Huangshan chrysanthemum, also called Huizhou chrysanthemum, is not only a good tea drink, but also a large and valuable local medicine, known as "the crown of chrysanthemum. The area under cultivation is now more than 1,400 hectares, with an annual output of more than 800 tons. It sells well both at home and abroad. In order to protect the quality, characteristics and reputation of this traditional agricultural product, Shexian County has completed the declaration of the protection of the geographical area of origin of the chrysanthemum, and has formulated and released the two standards of the chrysanthemum and the technical regulations for the production of the chrysanthemum, so that it has finally been listed as an agricultural product under the protection of the geographical area of origin.
For fitness and health care use, chrysanthemum should be chosen, of which Hangzhou chrysanthemum, or Hang Baiju, is a better variety, sold on the market in loose and pressed into blocks (also known as chrysanthemum purslane) of two kinds.
How to drink chrysanthemum:
Daily dosage is about half a tealeak, about 4-6 flowers, brewed in hot boiled water. Take about three cups daily.
Mixed with green tea, the ratio of chrysanthemum to green tea is best at 2:1.
Mixed with wolfberries, chrysanthemum tea can enhance the effects of strengthening the liver, body and eyesight, and help to recover from fatigue, the method is also brewed with hot water. Chrysanthemum as a pillow, have eyesight and lower blood pressure; chrysanthemum brewing, fitness and strong bone effect; chrysanthemum tea, can quench the thirst, cool and detoxification, clear liver and eyesight.
There are many varieties of chrysanthemum tea, which are known as the four famous chrysanthemums in China, including Huangshan Gongju, Hangbai chrysanthemum, Chu chrysanthemum and Boju chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemum tea is widely accepted because of its low price and good quality, and nowadays the most consumed chrysanthemums are Huangshan Gongju and Hangbaiju.
The varieties of chrysanthemums on the market are uneven, so it is important to recognize and identify chrysanthemums. The author conducted a survey and research on Huangshan Gongju and Hangbaiju to provide a little reference for those who love chrysanthemum tea.
"Huangshan Gongju", formerly known as "Huizhou Gongju", also known as Huizhou chrysanthemum, is an excellent variety of chrysanthemum selected from the chrysanthemum group.
Drinking chrysanthemum requires large flowers, white flowers, fat petals or many petals and close, fragrant gas, sweet and slightly bitter taste. There are few impurities and no insects or mold.
The following is the national classification standard of Gongju:
Gongju for drinking is divided into Grade 1 to Grade 3 according to its appearance, flower color, petals, flower tip, smell and other indexes:
Grade 1 is the flower with large, round, white color, 70% of petals unfolded, petals are dense, the heart of the flower is light yellow, even and no loose flowers, the tip of the flower is green, and it has fragrant smell and sweet and bitter taste without impurity;
Second grade is the flower with medium, round, white color, 10~10 times more than that of Gongju, which is the first grade. Medium, round, white, 10-20% of the flowers have more than 70% petal spread, denser and more uniform petals, green tip, fragrant, sweet and bitter flavor, no impurities;
Third grade is small, round, white flowers, 20-30% of the flowers have more than 70% petal spread, scattered petals, uneven, most of the green tip, fragrant, sweet and bitter flavor, impurities less than 0.5%.
According to folk experience, "chrysanthemum, one is to be large in shape, the second is to be fragrant for a long time, and the third is to be the right color. It is best to be like the color of fried rice."
Hangbai chrysanthemum, also known as chrysanthemum, produced in Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province, is a traditional cultivated medicinal plant in China, and is one of the eight famous medicinal herbs of Zhejiang Province, "Zhejiang eight flavors".
The following is the national classification standard of Hangzhou White Chrysanthemum:
Grade: complete flower type, thick petals, even flower size; no frost-beaten flowers, moldy flowers, raw flowers (steaming time is less than that, resulting in uncooked black flowers on the side of the sun), soup flowers (steaming pot of water too much, resulting in water scalded flowers, brown flowers in the sun); into the water to soak and open the petals of the jade-white, dark-yellow pistil zephyr uniformity; the broth is clear and bright light yellow, fragrant and sweet. Light yellow bright fragrance, sweet and slightly bitter.
Level 1: the flower type is basically complete, the petals are thicker, the size of the flower is slightly less than uniform; frost flowers, raw flowers, soup flowers in 5% or less; into the water after brewing petals white, stamens yellow; soup color clarification, light yellow fragrance, sweet and slightly bitter.
Second grade: the size of the flowers is slightly uneven; frosted flowers, raw flowers, soup flowers in 7% or less; into the water after brewing the petals gray, stamens light yellow; soup color clarification, light yellow fragrance, sweet and slightly bitter.
Most of the Hangbaichu products on the market are first- and second-grade flowers. Generally speaking, all the chrysanthemums sold in domestic supermarkets are second-grade flowers, with incomplete flower shapes, white petals, and often sticky petals in the package, which makes the taste very poor; first-grade chrysanthemums are more common in some tea estates that also operate chrysanthemums, with intact flower shapes, mixed with light-yellow white frosted flowers and boiled flowers, which makes the drinking taste general; and the special-grade chrysanthemums are only available in chrysanthemum specialty stores or from manufacturers.
How to distinguish between Huangshan Gongju and Hangbaiju?
Huangshan Gongju and Hangbai chrysanthemum are both medicinal chrysanthemums, and the difference between the two is that they have different origins and different processing methods. Gongju is produced in Shexian County, Anhui Province, and Hangbaiju is produced in Tongxiang, Zhejiang Province. According to the color of chrysanthemum, it is divided into white chrysanthemum and yellow chrysanthemum. The processing methods of the two types of chrysanthemums: white chrysanthemum, picking the inflorescence, steaming and sun-drying; yellow chrysanthemum drying. The processing method of Gongju: pick the inflorescence and dry it.
There is not much difference between the best Gongju and Hangbai chrysanthemum from the outside. According to the experience of chrysanthemum operators, the petals of Gongju are fatter, while those of Hangbaiju are lighter. The colors of the chrysanthemums are brighter, while the gongju is slightly darker.
Experts warn: chrysanthemum tea is not for everyone
Chrysanthemum tea is best for people who suffer from dizziness, red and swollen eyes, sore throats, a burning liver and high blood pressure.
The bitter taste of wild chrysanthemum is best avoided
It is not suitable for those who are weak in body, needy in spleen, have cold stomach and diarrhea
Diabetic patients or those with high blood sugar are better to drink chrysanthemum alone without sugar or honey
Allergy sufferers should try to drink one or two chrysanthemums first and then more if there is no problem
Those who do not have a clear idea of their physique are better to drink chrysanthemum tea with ice-cream or sugar. Chrysanthemum tea should preferably not be sweetened with rock sugar