What Do Sanqi "Tou" Numbers Mean, How Are They Calculated, How Many Tou Is Best, and How to Identify and Buy
Sanqi (Panax notoginseng) is a well-known perennial herbaceous medicinal plant from Wenshan, Yunnan, and is widely used medicinally for its effects in promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, fighting fatigue and lowering blood pressure. But to buy high-quality Sanqi, you must understand tou numbers, so what do Sanqi tou numbers mean? How are they calculated? How many tou is best? How to identify and buy?
What does Sanqi tou mean? How is it calculated?
Sanqi is graded by tou number. For example, 10-tou Sanqi means 10 roots make up 1 jin; 13-tou Sanqi means 13 roots make up 1 jin; 15-tou Sanqi means 15 roots make up 1 jin; 18-tou Sanqi means 18 roots make up 1 jin; 20-tou Sanqi means 20 to 29 roots make up 1 jin; 30-tou Sanqi means 30 to 39 roots make up 1 jin; 40-tou Sanqi means 40 to 49 roots make up 1 jin; 60-tou Sanqi means 60 to 69 roots make up 1 jin, and so on.
How many tou is good? Is more tou better or fewer tou better?
In the national standards, Sanqi grades are distinguished by tou number. Tou number refers to the number of Sanqi roots per 500 grams (relatively speaking). 15-tou Sanqi means about 15 roots per 500 grams of Sanqi. 20-tou means about 20 roots per 500 grams of Sanqi. The fewer the tou, the larger each Sanqi root and the better the quality; the more tou, the slightly poorer the quality.
Fewer tou is better for Sanqi; Sanqi with large, firm, smooth roots and no branchlets is superior.
Differences in Sanqi tou number:
Different sizes
The tou number of Sanqi powder is: how many similarly sized Sanqi roots there are per 500 grams. 15-tou means there are about 15 similarly sized Sanqi roots in 500 grams.
Growth time
Each Sanqi plant grows one Sanqi root, so the longer the growth time, the larger the root, and the smaller the tou number. Therefore, the longer the growth time, the larger the Sanqi powder roots and the smaller the tou number.
Different prices
Under the same growing conditions, the smaller the tou number, the larger the Sanqi root and the longer the growth time, which raises the cost, so the price is also higher.
Different medicinal efficacy
Under the same growing conditions, the smaller the Sanqi tou number and the longer the growth time, the more active ingredients accumulate, so the medicinal efficacy is also better.
How to identify?
Sanqi is often divided by size and planting years into several types: 20-tou, 30-tou, 40-tou, 60-tou, 80-tou, 120-tou and countless-tou. In Sanqi cultivation, besides the planting years, the size of Sanqi in the same plot and the same year also varies with different moisture and different soil, just like potatoes grown at home, which come in different sizes. When Sanqi is first harvested, it is not sorted by tou; it is a mix of sizes. After digging, the fibrous roots are removed and it is sorted by size into tou. 20-tou Sanqi means 21 to 29 roots per jin, generally within 25 roots; 30-tou means 30 to 35 roots per jin, generally within 35 roots; 40-tou means 40 to 49 roots, with within 45 roots being somewhat better; the following 60-tou, 80-tou and 120-tou are distinguished as above.
After sun-drying, Sanqi is generally 20-tou; 20 roots per jin counts as large, and there are also 18 or 19 roots per jin, but very few. For ordinary personal consumption, there is no need to use the largest roots with the fewest tou; 30-tou and 40-tou Sanqi are fine for consumption, and compared with 20-tou Sanqi, the price is much more economical and the effect is about the same. Yunnan Manze Sanqi tou is Sanqi grown in the fields of Wenshan, in loess and sandy soil. Sanqi grown on the mountains is rarely soaked by water during its growth period, and the Sanqi produced is high in content and strong in Sanqi flavor. Yunnan Manze Sanqi is dug directly from the field, the fibrous roots removed, washed clean with water, and sun-dried. Sanqi tou is never polished or waxed; it is natural, original-ecology Sanqi, good Yunnan Sanqi, round and plump, with a strong Sanqi flavor.
Judging whether Sanqi is good or bad is not only by size and tou number; you must also look at the place of origin and appearance. Yunnan Sanqi is the original producing area of Sanqi; because of the geographical environment here, the Sanqi produced here is very different from Sanqi grown elsewhere. Second, Sanqi grown in loess, red soil and sandy soil is better, with less moisture, and the Sanqi is pure and strong in flavor. Round and plump Sanqi is also better. Water-washed and sun-dried Sanqi is more natural and lighter than waxed Sanqi. For personal consumption, 30-tou and 40-tou Sanqi are generally fine. If you choose well, some 30-tou Sanqi is even better than 20-tou.
How to choose high-quality Sanqi tou?
1. Check whether the Sanqi has been polished with paraffin and talcum powder. The main difference between polished Sanqi and natural-color Sanqi is that polished Sanqi is easier to preserve and has a very smooth appearance, but it is not good for health or is troublesome to clean.
2. In the division of Sanqi tou numbers, different sizes have different prices; in the trade this is called “tou”. For example, 30-tou Sanqi means every 500 grams contains about 30 Sanqi roots. The smaller the tou number, the larger the Sanqi and the higher the price, and its Sanqi lipid content is slightly higher.
3. The dryness of Sanqi directly affects its weight and quality. The drier the Sanqi, the better, and the better the powder produced. Good Sanqi makes a solid sound. Sanqi that is not very dry has a dull sound.