Warm Turmeric Root (Yu Jin)

Yellow Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) (= Sichuan Turmeric Root (Yu Jin)) (ovoid-fusiform, brownish-gray, longitudinal wrinkles)

Sichuan Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) Slices (hard in texture, corneous, translucent, lustrous)

Sichuan Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) Slices (vinegar-processed below)

Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) (not sulfur-fumigated)

Guilin Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) (Ezhu) (Cultivated in Guangxi)

【Naming】

Yu Jin

 【Source】

Treatise on the Nature of Medicinal Herbs

 【Common Usage Level】

B

 【Botanical Origin】

The rhizome of Curcuma wenyujin Y. H. Chen et C. Ling, Curcuma longa L., Curcuma kwangsiensis S.G. Lee et C. F. Liang, Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb., etc.

 【Appearance】

(1) Warm Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) (Black Turmeric Root (Yu Jin)): Rhizome of Curcuma wenyujin. Long spindle-shaped, slightly flattened, mostly curved, blunt and pointed at both ends, with grayish-black fracture marks, 3-6 cm long, 1-1.5 cm in diameter at the middle, grayish-brown surface, wrinkled or with fine wrinkles, hard. The cross-section is dark gray and shiny, with a lighter-colored ring in the middle, the center is flat and round, odorless, with a faint, cool, spicy taste.
Processed pieces: transverse or oblique slices, about 2-3 mm thick, the cut surface is brownish-black, translucent, with a distinct inner cortex.
(2) Yellow Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) (Sichuan Turmeric Root (Yu Jin), Yellow Silk Turmeric Root (Yu Jin), Guang Yu Jin): Rhizome of Curcuma longa. Ovoid or long ovoid, slightly pointed at both ends, slightly full in the middle, 2-4 cm long, 1-2 cm in diameter at the middle, grayish-yellow or light brown surface, with grayish-white fine lines and sunken dots, with a fracture mark at one end. Bright yellow, and slightly pointed at the other end. Firm in quality, the cross-section is flat and shiny, corneous, apricot-yellow or orange-yellow, with a lighter-colored round center in the middle, slightly ginger-like aroma, and a spicy and bitter taste.
(3) Guilin Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) (Guangxi Turmeric Root (Yu Jin), E Ling): The string of tubers generated under the Guangxi Ezhu, in a long conical shape, 4-7 cm long, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, light brownish-yellow surface, with fine longitudinal wrinkles, hard in texture, the sliced pieces are corneous, light grayish-brown, the inner cortex is obvious, the color is dark, and it does not contain Curcumin (Turmeric), which is easy to distinguish from general Turmeric Root (Yu Jin).
(4) Green Silk Turmeric Root (Yu Jin): The string of tubers generated under the Ezhu, the tuber is long and round, slightly flat, 2-4 cm long, 1-1.5 cm in diameter, gray or grayish-black surface, slightly coarse wrinkles, and the fracture surface is semi-corneous. Spicy taste.

 【Processing】

1. Raw Turmeric Root (Yu Jin) 2. Vinegar Turmeric Root (Yu Jin)

 【Identification】

《Essentials of Materia Medica》: “The one with the shape of cicada’s belly is good.” 《Miraculous and Effective Prescriptions for Saving the World》: “Seven taels of Turmeric Root (Yu Jin), the one from Sichuan is the best.” 《Herbal Seek Truth》: “The one with fresh color, slight aroma and sweetness is genuine.”
1. Yellow Turmeric Root (Yu Jin): The best is the one with large size, plumpness, fine wrinkles on the outer skin, and orange-yellow cross-section.
2. Warm Turmeric Root (Yu Jin): The best is the one with large size, few wrinkles on the outer skin, and grayish-black cross-section. The best is the one with large size, fine skin, and firm cross-section.

 【Identification Terminology】

1. Corneous: Contains a lot of starch, which gelatinizes after processing and becomes translucent, such as Turmeric Root (Yu Jin).

 【Category】

Roots