Why is Aged Tangerine Peel the Ultimate Treasure?
See the lovely oil sacs all over the aged tangerine peel? These precious rounds release ohhh-so-aromatic essential oils and ahhh-so-healing flavonoids penetrating the entire spicy zest surface.
In the Cantonese gourmet world, this aged dark rind raises a meat or seafood dish to celebrity status, fit for the gods. In soups or teas? Unique piquance. The older the better, like fine wines.
Of multiple variations recorded in the Great Pharmacopoeia (1596) by herbalist Li Shizhen, citrus reticulata (茶枝柑陳皮) from Xinhui is the best. Sundried and aged 3–30 years, it’s among the top 10 traditional southern Chinese medicines and a popular household herb in Macau and Hong Kong. Its properties? Mildly warming. Good for regulating qi in the liver, lungs, spleen, and stomach.
It’s nature’s gift: Where riverine and marine essences converge on land.
© Pseu Pending (Seu) 2022
