Sophora rice in Sophora honey tea is the dried flower buds and flowers of the legume Sophora japonica.

It is the dried flower buds of Sophora japonica, the appearance is yellow-brown or yellow-green, slightly wrinkled, the lower calyx is campanulate apex with 5-toothed clefts, the upper part of the corolla for the unopened, varying in size, the outside of which are sparsely white pubescent. The texture is loose and brittle, the air is weak and the flavor is slightly bitter. Flower bends green and thick, buds strong, no branches and pedicels are preferred.

Sophora japonica is mainly produced in Henan, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Anhui, Hebei, Jiangsu, Guizhou and other places, in recent years, Ningxia, Gansu and other places have also been the scale, Vietnam also has a large area of planting. The flower buds are harvested in summer when the flowers are not open, called "Sophora rice"; when the flowers are open, they are harvested, called "Sophora flowers". After harvesting, the branches, stalks and impurities of the inflorescences are removed, dried in time, and used raw, stir-fried or fried with charcoal.

Growing environment of acacia

Acacia is cold-tolerant, slightly shade-tolerant, light-loving, deep-rooted, drought-resistant and intolerant of shade and humidity, with few pests and diseases, long life, and strong resistance to smoke and poison. Poor growth in low-lying waterlogged, suitable for moist and fertile soil, but in lime and mildly saline (salt content of 0.15% or so) can also grow normally. Resistant to soot, commonly cultivated throughout China, even in mountainous areas where water is scarce can survive very well.

The acacia tree is generally referred to as Sophora japonica, also known as locust tree, which is a tall tree with pinnately compound leaves similar to those of acacia. Flowers are pale yellow, can be cooked and eaten, but also can be used as traditional Chinese medicine or dye. Unopened acacia flowers are commonly known as "acacia rice", which is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine. Flowering period in late summer, and other species of flowering period is different, is an important source of honey plants.