A Detailed Guide to the Harvest Time and Processing Methods of Angelica sinensis

This product is the dried root of Angelica sinensis, a plant in the Apiaceae family.

(1) Origin: mainly produced in Minxian, Wudu, Zhangxian, Chengxian, Wenxian and other places in Gansu, and also produced in Yunnan, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hubei and other provinces. It is mainly cultivated. (2) Processing at origin: dug up in late autumn, the fibrous roots and sand and soil are removed, and after the moisture has evaporated slightly, it is tied into small bundles, placed on racks, and slowly smoked dry with smoke and fire. (3) Characteristics: slightly cylindrical, with 3-5 or more branch roots at the lower part, 15-25 cm long. The surface is yellowish-brown to brownish-brown, with longitudinal wrinkles and transversely elongated lenticels. The root head (gui head) is 1.5-4 cm in diameter, with ring patterns, the upper end round and blunt, and with remnants of purple or yellow-green stems and leaf sheaths; the main root (gui body) has an uneven surface; the branch roots (gui tail) are 0.3-1 cm in diameter, thick at the upper part and thin at the lower part, mostly twisted, with a few fibrous root scars. The texture is soft and tough, the cut surface is yellowish-white or pale yellowish-brown, the bark is thick, with cracks and numerous brown dotted secretory cavities, the xylem is lighter in color, and the cambium ring is yellowish-brown. It has a rich fragrance, and the taste is sweet, pungent and slightly bitter.

Those with a thick and long main root, oily and moist, yellowish-brown outer skin, yellowish-white cut surface, and rich odor and taste are considered the best. Those with a highly fibrous nature, dry and withered without oil, or with a greenish-brown cut surface must not be used as medicine.