By Eric Brand

The picture above is a specimen of Sichuan astragalus that I picked up at the herb market in Chengdu this spring. It is from the astragalus family but it is not one of the species that is listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as the genuine item. It is used as Huang Qi in Sichuan and it is believed to have similar effects, but it is nonetheless still considered a local herb or substitute rather than an authentic form of Huang Qi. Note that it lacks the deep yellow color that is associated with true Huang Qi. It also largely lacks Huang Qi's rich and distinctive bean-family aroma. This item is called Chuan Huang Qi, whereas genuine Huang Qi is called Bei Qi or Huang Qi. Another big astragalus substitute to be aware of is hedysarum, which is properly called Jin Qi or Hong Qi. Hedysarum is the most common form of "huang qi" in Taiwan. Click here for more on Huang Qi vs. Hong Qi