Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica (Vol. 31)

Muslim Vinegar (Huihui Cu)

According to the Famine Relief Herbaloriginal: "Jiuhuang Bencao" (救荒本草). A 15th-century medicinal and botanical text focused on identifying wild plants that could be eaten during food shortages., the Muslim Vinegar tree—also known as the LinpuzhaA local dialect name for the Sumac tree.—grows in the wilderness and mountains of Shaohua Mountain in Mi County.

The tree reaches a height of over ten feet. Its leaves are similar to those of the Doulu tree original: "兜櫨"; likely referring to the Smoke Tree (Cotinus coggygria) or a related species, though they are thicker and larger, with prominent saw-tooth serrations along the edges. They also bear a resemblance to the leaves of the "Thick Toona" tree, being similarly large in scale.

The leaflets are arranged in groups of three or five along a single stem. The tree produces white flowers and bears seeds about the size of a pea; when these seeds ripen, they turn the color of red lacquer. Both the seeds and the leaves have a sour flavor, though the leaves are only mildly so.

Instructions for consumption:
Gather the leaves and blanch themoriginal: "煠熟" (zhashu). This refers to the process of briefly boiling or scalding greens to soften them and remove unwanted flavors before eating. in boiling water. Soak them in fresh water to remove the excess sourness, then rinse them thoroughly. They can then be seasoned with oil and salt to be eaten. The seeds can be used to season soups, as their flavor is much like vinegar.