[Fwd: rou gui]

[Guest guest]

Andy Ellis wrote:

 

> Hi

>

> I have a bit of time this evening so I am getting to the ever-growing

> backlog of email that is camping in my computer.

>

> There are several species of Cinnamomum that are used for Rou Gui. The one

> considered as the true item is cassia. Cinnamomum mairei is considered to

> be Guan Gui in some sources though Guan Gui is also sometimes listed as a

> synonym of Rou Gui. It is very difficult to differentiate between these two

> species of Cinnamomum. They look, smell and taste very similar. The bark of

> cassia is supposed to be more fragrant and oily than the mairei species so

> if one examines a crosscut, the mairei sample will appear more powdery than

> the cassia would.

>

> The burmannii species is officially called Yin Xiang in Chinese though in

> recent times some herb dealers identify it as Gui Pi. It is thinner than

> most Rou Gui; is barely fragrant and is pungent but only slightly sweet. In

> the Ben Cao Gang Mu we see it described as " thin and bland " . In that text

> it is called Mu Gui and scholars suspect Li Shi Zhen was referring to

> either the japonica or burmannii species of Cinnamomum. Bare in mind that

> in some texts Gui Pi is simply an alternate way of saying Rou Gui.

>

> The burmanni species (Yin Xiang) is said to warm the spleen and stomach and

> lack the other functions of Rou Gui such as supplementing Life Gate fire

> and freeing the blood vessels. Yin Xiang also is used as a spice.

>

> Because each company sells different things batch to batch this issue

> requires one to examine each sample of Rou Gui to determine if it is indeed

> one of the preferred species. Unfortunately, paying more does not guarantee

> one getting the correct species. To differentiate with certainty,

> microscopic or lab testing would be required but tasting for sweetness is a

> preliminary way to discern burmanni from the other species. Yin Xiang is

> also said to have less of a division between the outer and inner bark than

> other species of Cinnamomum.

>

> Hope this is useful to you.

>

> Andy