A Detailed Guide to the Growing Conditions and Delicious Ways to Enjoy Angelica Sinensis

As life changes, people pay more and more attention to health preservation. Angelica sinensis (dong quai) is one of the most common traditional Chinese medicine tonics, with effects of enriching and harmonizing blood, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, moistening dryness and lubricating the intestines, fighting cancer, anti-aging and anti-senility, and boosting immunity. So what are the growing conditions for angelica sinensis? How do you prepare angelica sinensis so it tastes good? What recipes use angelica sinensis?

1. What are the growing conditions for angelica sinensis?

1. Site selection and land preparation: Choose a gently sloping field facing south and backing north, half shaded and half sunny, with loose soil and good structure. Deep plow once before Grain Full (Xiaoman), break up the clods to make a seedbed; the bed surface is 1 m wide, and the length varies with the terrain. Dig drainage ditches between beds 30 cm wide and 15-20 cm deep. The planting site should be deeply plowed and finely harrowed, with 2500-5000 kg of base fertilizer applied per mu, turned evenly into the soil, and made into raised beds 1.2-1.5 m wide. Dig drainage ditches between beds 30 cm wide and about 20 cm deep.

2. Propagation method: In production, seedling raising followed by transplanting is usually adopted.

The sowing period should be determined according to the altitude and temperature of each place; in Gansu, Sichuan, and Yunnan it is about July, and in Shaanxi around August. The sowing method is broadcasting; mix the seeds with ash and scatter them on the bed surface, press down lightly, cover with a small amount of fine moist soil, and cover with grass to allow light through and retain moisture. The seedling age should not exceed 110 days, and the sowing rate is 4-5 kg per mu. Transplanting is divided into winter planting and spring planting, with a plant-to-row spacing of 25 cm × 25 cm. Spring planting is done around Qingming, and winter planting is best done after Cold Dew and before Frost Descent. When direct seeding is used for production, it can be done in winter, spring, or autumn, and it can control early bolting of angelica sinensis; winter direct seeding is slightly better, but the yield is not high.

3. Field management

(1) Seedling stage management: After sowing, the soil must be kept moist to facilitate seed germination. After about 40 days, lift and loosen the covering grass; when the seedlings are about 3 cm tall, loosen the soil once and pull out weeds immediately; after the dog days, choose a cloudy day to remove all the covering grass. During the seedling stage, pay attention to drought prevention and drainage.

(2) Lifting and storing seedlings: From Cold Dew to Frost Descent, when the temperature drops to about 5°C and the seedling leaves begin to wither, dig up the seedlings, keep a little soil on them, tie them into small bundles, air off the moisture, and store them in a cellar or in piles; seedlings that are too old should not be stored in piles, and when storing in piles, be careful to place the tops facing outward and the roots facing inward.

(3) Replanting and thinning: Under normal conditions, about 20 days after transplanting, once the seedlings have all emerged, thin and replant them; it is best to replant with small seedlings carrying soil on cloudy and rainy days. About 3 months after planting, final thinning is done, removing diseased and weak seedlings, and keeping 1 plant per hole.

(4) Cultivation and weeding: In mid-May, carry out the first weeding, preferably by shallow hoeing, so that soil does not bury the seedlings. In mid-June, carry out the second weeding, which can be deeper hoeing, to promote root development.

(5) Removing bolting stems: After transplanting, plants that flower and bear fruit in the same year are called early bolters; their roots cannot be used medicinally and should all be pulled out.

(6) Topdressing: Angelica sinensis is a fertilizer-loving plant; in late June during the peak leaf stage and in early August during the root growth stage, phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen fertilizers should be applied as topdressing.

2. How do you prepare angelica sinensis so it tastes good? What recipes use angelica sinensis?

1. Angelica sinensis and honeysuckle tea

[Ingredients] 30 g honeysuckle, 15 g angelica sinensis, 6 g dandelion, 6 g Xuanshen

[Method] Add water to honeysuckle, angelica sinensis, dandelion, and Xuanshen and decoct together.

[Effects] Clears heat and detoxifies, suitable for pneumonia.

2. Angelica sinensis and Codonopsis pig heart soup

[Ingredients] 1 pig heart, 15 g angelica sinensis, 20 g Codonopsis pilosula (or 10 g ginseng).

[Method] Wash Codonopsis pilosula and angelica sinensis, put them in water and boil for 30 minutes, then remove the medicinal residue, add an appropriate amount of clean water, put in the pig heart along with ginger, scallion, pepper, and salt, and cook until the pig heart is thoroughly tender, then it is ready to eat.

[Effects] Replenishes qi, nourishes blood, and enriches blood; suitable for palpitations, shortness of breath and fatigue, anemia, and neurasthenia, etc.

3. Angelica sinensis mutton stew

[Ingredients] 25 g angelica sinensis, 25 g Astragalus membranaceus, 25 g Codonopsis pilosula, 500 g mutton, and appropriate amounts of scallion, ginger, cooking wine, monosodium glutamate, and salt.

[Method] Wash the mutton, put angelica sinensis, Astragalus membranaceus, and Codonopsis pilosula into a gauze bag, tie it closed, and place everything together in a pot; then add scallion, ginger, salt, cooking wine, and an appropriate amount of water. Then place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat until the mutton is thoroughly tender. When eating, add monosodium glutamate, eat the meat, and drink the soup.

[Effects] Suitable for blood deficiency, insufficiency of qi and blood after illness, and various types of anemia.

4. Crispy Codonopsis and angelica sinensis chicken

[Ingredients] 1 young chicken, 1300 g, 20 g Codonopsis pilosula, 10 g Atractylodes macrocephala, 10 g angelica sinensis, 10 g ginger chunks, 15 g prepared rehmannia, 7 g refined salt, 10 g Sichuan pepper, 1 g five-spice powder, 50 g Shaoxing wine, 1000 g rapeseed oil (100 g consumed), 15 g scallion bulb.

[Method] Remove all ash and residue from Codonopsis pilosula, Atractylodes macrocephala, angelica sinensis, and prepared rehmannia, dry them, and make them into powder. After slaughtering the young chicken, remove the internal organs, cut off the feet and claws, and wash clean. Mix refined salt, 15 g Shaoxing wine, and the Chinese medicine powder evenly, smear it inside and outside the chicken body, place it in a steaming bowl, and steam it thoroughly in a steamer; take it out and pick out the ginger, scallion, and Sichuan pepper. Place a wok over high heat, pour in rapeseed oil and heat until 70% hot, put the chicken into the oil and fry until golden brown and the skin is crisp, then remove.

[Effects] Enriches blood and invigorates blood, tonifies the spleen and replenishes qi; suitable for dizziness, blurred vision, and insufficient breast milk after childbirth caused by insufficiency of qi and blood, etc.