Cultivation of hundreds of medicinal plants belonging to the spice category

Author: Xu Zhaoxi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-03-01
Features: Chinese culinary techniques are world-renowned and considered one of the greatest achievements in global food culture. This is a result of the rich experience our ancestors have accumulated over 5,000 years in the application of food and aromatic seasonings. In China, most aromatic seasonings are traditional Chinese herbal medicines, commonly referred to as fragrant medicinal materials, braising seasonings, or auxiliary seasonings. Among the 119 seasoning plants described in this book, none are unsuitable for medicinal use. Therefore, seasoning plants are also important raw materials for medicinal and edible purposes, as well as essential ingredients in the preparation of medicinal diets. They possess functions such as bactericidal and preservative effects, antioxidant properties, preventing coronary heart disease, promoting ventilation and digestion, aiding digestion, and stimulating appetite. Seasonings are also a significant export commodity for China, making the cultivation of seasoning plants highly beneficial. To better adapt to the development of production, the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the growing demand for seasonings, and the need to participate in international competition and adjust agricultural structures following China's entry into the WTO, we have compiled the book Cultivation of 100 Species of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants at the request of China Agricultural Publishing House and dedicated it to the. This book has the following features:
1. Comprehensive Variety: It includes as many important seasoning plants as possible that are widely used and cultivated in China. China is vast and diverse in climate, with abundant resources of seasoning plants. According to incomplete statistics, there are over 60 families and 400 species of wild and cultivated aromatic plants in China. This book covers 44 families and 119 species of seasoning plants with cultivation techniques. Compared to the 25 families and 79 species allowed by the International Organization for Standardization for food additives, China's aromatic plant resources and application techniques have greatly enriched the global treasury of aromatic plants. The book is organized by chapters based on the application of the plants. Among the 119 varieties, nearly one-third can be used as both seasonings and medicinal herbs, as well as newly introduced and developed high-value, specialty vegetable varieties with excellent economic potential and promising development prospects.
2. Advanced Technology, High Practicality: During the writing process, the authors combined their extensive experience and incorporated recent research findings from the past decade for each variety, striving to ensure the content is highly practical and easy to implement.
3. Accessible and Comprehensive: The book not only introduces origins, plant morphology, identification, growth habits, cultivation techniques, and harvesting and processing methods but also provides detailed descriptions of the methods for using each variety as a seasoning, for consumption, and for medicinal purposes, closely linking production and application. For non-producers, the detailed descriptions of plant morphology, brief introductions to each variety, and Latin names may not need to be thoroughly understood in daily culinary use. However, producers can refer to these sections when introducing new varieties to identify their origins.
With the improvement of people's living standards, the art of creating delicious and flavorful meals is no longer just the concern of chefs and experts. Ordinary people are also increasingly learning to use the rich variety of seasonings to make their daily meals more enjoyable and bring more joy to the dining table.