Huang Ruiqin, Postgraduate, New York University
Zeng Weiwei, Postgraduate, Hunan University of Technology and Business
Xu Bingling, Postgraduate, Hunan University of Technology and Business
Supervised by Dr. Zhang Ling, Professor, Hunan University of Technology and Business
Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber (Photo from Li Hong)
Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber originates from Hongjiang City in the hinterland of Xuefeng Mountain on the eastern edge of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, which belongs to the middle-subtropical monsoon humid climate zone, with abundant rainfall, a long frost-free period, and moderate sunshine. Surrounded by mountain ranges, the city has a 71% rate of forest coverage. Its soil is deep layers of mainly red, purple, and yellow loam, with a high content of organic matter. The unique geological landscape and climate have jointly cultivated the excellent quality of Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber.
Xuefeng Mountain Range (Photo from Li Hong)
Gastrodia Tuber is also known as “red arrow”. The Herbal Classic, Herbal Classic of Wu and Jin Dynasty (222-316), The Illustrated Herbal Classic, Compendium of Materia Medica and other ancient Chinese medical books have refining exposition on its name, origin, morphology, collection time, processing and usage. The history of Chinese people using Gastrodia Tuber both as food and medicine can be traced back to at least two thousand years ago. Recordings show that Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) had a cup of powered Gastrodia Tuber daily in the morning to nourish his body. The great calligrapher Liu Gongquan once mentioned that Gastrodia Tuber can support the elderly in his writing On Looking for the Red Arrow. The famous Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi also spoke of Gastrodia Tuber in his poems.
Gastrodia Tuber and Gastrodia Tuber Powder (Photo from Li Hong)
Fresh Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber has an oblong and slightly flat shape. Its dried product has a long, wrinkled or slightly curved shape with longitudinal wrinkles and transverse rings. Its surface is yellowish white or yellowish brown, its texture is tough and hard to break, and its smell faint and the flavor sweet. The inner quality of Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber is excellent, it contains the following nutrients: water (≤15.0%), total ash (≤3.0%), gastrodin and p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol (≥0.30%), and extractumct (≥17.0%). The content of gastrodin is two to three times of the standard according to the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Gastrodin is sedative and anticonvulsant. It can also improve cerebral circulation. Thus, it is beneficial for human health.
The processing of Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber strictly follows five steps: grading, steaming, shaping, drying and packaging. Artificial and wild Gastrodia Tuber differs in size and the degree of damage. One must wash and dry fresh Gastrodia Tuber after digging it out from the ground and grade it based on its size. Grade one weighs 150 grams or more, grade two 100-150 grams, grade three 50-100 grams, and grade four 25-50 grams.Those weighing 25 grams or below are retained as seeds or processed separately as wild small Gastrodia Tuber. Bruised ones and those damaged with worms are ungraded. In the steaming process, different grades of Gastrodia Tuber are steamed for different length of time so as to reduce the loss of medicinal ingredients. Shaping is for beautifying Gastrodia Tuber and drying is for its easy preservation. Regarding drying, first bake Gastrodia Tuber to half dry, control the temperature and ventilation, and straighten and flatten it when it is seventy to eighty percent dry. Grade it again after drying. High-quality Gastrodia Tuber is flat and long oval, large and weighty. The final process is packaging. Gastrodia Tuber attracts mold and insects easily, so they must be sealed in double-thick plastic bags, placed in a cool environment and checked often during the plum rain season.
Digging and Grading the Gastrodia Tuber (Photo from Li Hong)
In 2020, Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber won the national geographic indication certification for agricultural products and the title of National Famous, Special, Excellent and New Agricultural Products, which made it stand out among many agricultural products and embark on a fast track of development. 7,000 hectares of Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber are planted in 84 administrative villages among 16 townships in Hongjiang City, including Taiping Township, Anjiang Town, and Chatou Township. Its annual output exceeds 300 tons. On April 28, 2023, Hongjiang City was recognized by the expert group of the Medicinal and Edible Industry of the National Science and Technology Innovation Alliance as the Hometown of Gastrodia Tuber. The future for Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber is promising. Relying on its excellent quality, it will explore a wider world.
Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber (Photo from Li Hong)
In recent years, the international market for Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber has shown a growth trend. Export volume and value of Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber have risen as a whole, such as, the export volume reaching 121,153 kilograms in the first half of 2023, and the value of export reaching 2.148 million U.S. dollars in the first half of 2022. Owing to its unique nutritional and medicinal values, naming anti-epileptic, anti-palpitation syncope, anti-rheumatism, etc., Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber is highly favored by the international market. In the meanwhile, the title of National Famous, Special, Excellent and New Agricultural Products is like adding wings to a tiger, which greatly enhances the popularity of Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber in the international market and opens up a wider sales channel. Qianyang Gastrodia Tuber is globally recognized and approved by more consumers.