Basic Introduction to Yongan Golden Thread Orchid
Yongan Golden Thread Orchid, a specialty of Yongan City, Fujian Province, is the central production area for wild golden thread orchids in China. The city is known as the “Golden Thread Orchid Capital of China.” The Yongan Golden Thread Orchid plants are small, with oval leaves that come to a point, and veins that are golden-yellow with a purplish-red hue. They have high levels of polysaccharides, flavonoids, and amino acids, and possess strong food, medicinal, and ornamental value. The products are sold in provinces such as Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, as well as in countries and regions like Japan and Hong Kong, with 90% of the products being exported, giving them a high market share. It is a protected product under China's Geographical Indication.
Nutritional Value
The taste is sweet and its nature is neutral. It has functions such as clearing heat and cooling the blood, dispelling wind and dampness, balancing yin and yang, nourishing the body and enhancing beauty, harmonizing qi and blood, and enters the kidney, heart, and lung meridians. It can comprehensively boost the human immune system and enhance the body's resistance to diseases. It is widely used in folk medicine and shows significant therapeutic effects for various illnesses.
Product Characteristics
(1) Fresh Product: Plants are over 6 cm tall, stiff and upright, with distinct stem nodes, 2 to 3 roots, and 5 to 6 leaves. The leaves are ovate-elliptical, alternate with petioles, pointed at the tip, glossy dark green on the surface, with clear golden veins, and a pale purple underside.
(2) Dried Product: Plants maintain their shape, are thoroughly dried, have distinct stem nodes, curled and wrinkled leaves, clear veins, and a special aroma. Each 10 grams contains 70 to 100 plants.
Historical Folklore
Wild Golden Thread Orchids grow in towns such as Xiaotao, Hongtian, Shangping, Qingshui, and Ansha in Yongan. According to research, the use of Golden Thread Orchid as a medicinal ingredient in Yongan originated during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (14th to 20th centuries). In the 14th to 17th centuries, during the Ming Dynasty, the famous Yongan physician Lai Yi used Golden Thread Orchid as an ingredient to treat convulsions in children. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1796), in the Qing Dynasty, the renowned physician Lai Shaoxi from Dalake specialized in surgery and used Golden Thread Orchid for anti-inflammatory and analgesic purposes.
Before the introduction of Western medicine into Yongan, traditional Chinese medicine was the only medical treatment available, with a heavy reliance on herbal remedies. In 1906 (the 32nd year of the Guangxu period of the Qing dynasty), the Yongan pharmacy “Dehe Tang” started purchasing Golden Thread Orchid. Dehe Tang was prosperous and often interacted with pharmacies from other provinces. At the time, local bamboo traders transported the Golden Thread Orchid from Yongan to Shanghai for sale, and to distinguish it from medicinal herbs from other areas, the pharmacy named this variety “Yongan Golden Thread Orchid.” During the early Republican era in the 20th century, renowned Yongan physicians Nie Shizeng and Nie Jingshan also used Golden Thread Orchid as a medicinal ingredient, specifically referring to it as “Yongan Golden Thread Orchid” in their prescriptions.
Awards and Honors of Yongan Golden Thread Orchid
Yongan City, Fujian Province, is the central production area for wild Golden Thread Orchid in China and is known as the “Golden Thread Orchid Capital of China.” The local Golden Thread Orchid is referred to as “Golden Herb,” “Miracle Medicine,” and “Medicine King.”
Culinary Uses
Golden Thread Orchid Chicken: For treating rheumatic knee pain: 6 grams of Golden Thread Orchid, one old hen, and half a catty of rice wine; stew together and serve. For rheumatoid arthritis: 15-20 grams of Golden Thread Orchid and one chicken (or two eggs); for those who tend to be cold, add wine and stew; for those who tend to be hot, water-stew and add rock sugar. Drink the broth and eat the chicken or eggs, and use the residue to rub on painful areas.