Detailed Explanation of Fine Processing Methods and Technical Points for Gastrodia elata

Gastrodia elata must be processed as soon as it is dug up and harvested, because if stored for too long, it easily loses its sap, reducing the drying ratio. Spring-harvested Gastrodia elata especially cannot be stored. Spring temperatures are high, and if it is not processed in time, it will also become moldy and rot. During processing, first wash the dug-up Gastrodia elata clean of soil with clean water, then wipe off the moisture with a cloth, and then put it in a pot to stir-fry together with fine sand. According to the size of the pot (No. 1 or No. 2 pot), put fine sand in each pot for stir-frying. According to the size of the pot (No. 1 or No. 2 pot), put 4-7.5 kg of fine sand in each pot and 1.5-2.5 kg of Gastrodia elata. It must be processed according to the size of the Gastrodia elata, graded by size. During processing, if it is not graded by size, some will be stir-fried until scorched and burnt, while some will not yet be properly stir-fried, affecting the quality of the finished product. During processing, a big fire should be kept in the stove. When the sand in the pot turns red (put in scraps of paper, leaves, etc. and they immediately catch fire), put the Gastrodia elata into the pot and keep turning it with an iron shovel. The time should be short. Stir-fry the Gastrodia elata until it is scorched outside and raw inside. When you hear it crackle like burning corn kernels, wait until the sound becomes smaller, then immediately take it out, and then put it into a basin of cold water that has been prepared in advance. While it is still hot, use a bamboo knife (made by splitting small bamboo about 33 cm in diameter into 4-6 pieces. This small knife is very sharp for scraping the skin of Gastrodia elata and is commonly used in medicinal material processing) to gently scrape off the coarse skin. After washing clean, put it into alum water and soak for about 10 minutes, then take it out. Then put it into an empty basket, air-dry the moisture, grade it, put it into drying sieves, and place it on the drying bed. At the beginning, the temperature on the drying bed is preferably 50-60°C. After drying for 2-3 hours, raise it to 70-80°C. When it is 60-70% dry, take it out and flatten it with a wooden board. If there is any swelling from gas, pierce it with a bamboo needle to release the gas, and then flatten it again. Finally, dry it over charcoal fire with sulfur added until completely dry, and it becomes a semi-transparent milky-yellow finished product.

The advantages of this processing method are: after high-temperature processing, only the outer skin of the Gastrodia elata is scraped off, while the grain marks inside the outer skin remain intact, and the color is bright. At the same time, because it has not been boiled in water, the medicinal components inside the Gastrodia elata have not been destroyed, and the finished product is of high quality, so it is known as "snow Gastrodia elata."