Our mission has always been to supply authentic herbs that have been cultivated at the place of origin. Not only do we ensure that all of our operations comply with EU regulations, but we also take extra care to ensure none of our herbs are treated with any disruptive agents such as sulphur, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Unfortunately, the herbal market is saturated with sulphur treated herbs and many herbalists are accustomed to buying ‘brighter’ herbs as they are much cheaper. Because of this, some of our herbs may look different or have a shorter shelf-life but in turn, yield quicker results.
Sulphur-Free Da Zao
Da Zao is grown in the Shandong and Henan provinces in China on the bush of the Jujube tree. They are harvested in the autumn when the fruit is matured and ripen to a naturally bright red. We pick and wash the fruit, before starting the processing method. The fruit is then fried with honey (Mi Zhi) to increase the herb’s tonifying and moistening actions.
Da Zao absorbs the water from the washing and the sugar from the processing – making it the perfect breeding ground for mould to grow. We have received complaints that our Da Zao contains mould. As we do not use adulterants like sulphur to preserve our herbs, we have decided to stop importing Da Zao as we cannot guarantee an adequate shelf life for this herb. This is because we do not use sulphur to preserve our herbs as using sulphur can extend shelf life and kill insects. We are against sulphur treated herbs as studies have shown sulphur reacts with the herb to create new and unwanted chemicals, whilst reducing the level of active ingredients used for treatment. Find out more here.
We recommend buying Hong Zao or Da Hong Zao and Processing the herbs yourself by cooking them with honey. Alternatively, both Da Zao and Long Yan Rou are sweet, warm, augment Qi and blood, tonify the spleen and stomach and calm the spirit making Long Yan Rou a suitable substitute.
If you would like to know more about our non-sulphur treated herbs, please visit our quality assurance page. If you have any additional questions about Da Zao or any of our other herbs, please contact us at info@phoenixmd.co.uk.
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