【Name】
【Source】
Kai Bao (開寶)
【Frequency of Use】
D
【Origin】
The dried, mature seeds of Momordica cochinchinensis Spreng., a plant in the Cucurbitaceae family.
【Characteristics】
Slightly flattened, round plate-shaped, slightly raised in the middle, 2-3 cm in diameter and about 5 mm thick. The surface is greyish-brown, rough, with sunken reticulate patterns, and a dozen or so opposite serrated protrusions on both sides of the periphery, resembling a turtle. The outer seed coat is hard and brittle, and the inner seed coat is thin and membranous, with a greyish-green, villous surface. The kernel is flattened-round or nearly round, containing two large, thick cotyledons, yellowish-white, rich in oil, with a peculiar oily odor and a bitter taste.
【Preparation】
1. Mu Bie Zi (raw) 2. Mu Bie Zi Shuang (Mu Bie Zi powder/frost)
【Identification】
The best quality is indicated by seeds that are plump, unbroken, hard on the outside, heavy, and have a yellowish-white kernel that does not leak oil.
【Category】
Seeds