Common and botanical names : Solomon’s seal rhizome, yu zhu
Renowned geo-specific habitat : Xinchang in Zhejiang Province

Common Processing Techniques:
1)    Stir-fried with honey to enhance the yin nourishing property, especialy for dryness in the stomach.
2)    Steamed with rice wine to further nourish the lungs, especially for conditions manifesting in shortness of breath.

Simple and effective combinations (for 2-3 persons):
1)    For improving dull and dry complexion and for prevention of skin problems, use Solomon’s seal (yu zhu) (40g), Astragalus root (Bei qi) (30g) and Codonopsis root (dang shen) (30g) with 6 pieces water chestnut ( Ma ti) to simmer with chicken for a savory soup.
2)    For frequent acidic stomach and dry mouth and throat, use Solomon’s seal (yu zhu) (40g),Adenophora root ( sha shen) (30g) and licorice root ( gan cao) (20g). simmer with 10 rice-bowls of water until 5 rice-bowls remain. Sweetened with honey to taste. This combination is also suitable for frequent dry cough.

Advanced and modern applications:
1)    Long term consumption has been used to strengthen weak heart and irregular heartbeat, especially if there’s manifestation of yin deficiency.
2)    Heavy dosage (up till 200g each time) of Solomon seal root in decoction has been shown to lower blood pressure.