Do you eat the slices?

No. They are woody; simmer and remove.

How long do you simmer it?

At least an hour for flavour. Two hours is common for a whole chicken.

Is wild better than cultivated?

It is slower-grown and denser. Whether that matters to you is a judgment about taste price and traceability, not a claim we make.

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Astragalus

Astragalus membranaceus

Astragalus root is a soup ingredient in northern Chinese home cooking — sliced, simmered for an hour, and removed before serving. It tastes sweet and faintly woody.

What it is

A long taproot, sliced diagonally into pale yellow discs with a woody core. Our wild slices are thinner and denser than cultivated root.

How it is used

Simmered with chicken for 60–90 minutes, then discarded.
Added to a vegetable broth for body.
Steeped in hot water with red date for a plain everyday drink.

Choosing and keeping

How to choose	Slices should be firm and pale, with a distinct grain. Very white, chalky slices suggest bleaching or over-processing.
How to store	Dry, sealed, away from humidity. It will keep a year; it will also absorb smells.
When it belongs	Autumn and winter.
Pairs with	Chinese yam, red date, goji, ginger.
Where ours comes from	Wild-collected at around 1,200 m in the Yaowang Valley, Shaanxi.

Questions

Do you eat the slices?: No. They are woody; simmer and remove.
How long do you simmer it?: At least an hour for flavour. Two hours is common for a whole chicken.
Is wild better than cultivated?: It is slower-grown and denser. Whether that matters to you is a judgment about taste price and traceability, not a claim we make.

Updated 2026-10-31 · Written and reviewed by the Yaowang Heritage kitchen team. Sources: our own cultivation and processing records; our story for the Taibai Mountain and Tongchuan sites. Ordering and specifications are on the product pages.