Illustrated Compendium of Materia Medica (Vol. 31)

植物名實圖考

Maple Tree Buds

The Famine Relief Herbaloriginal: "救荒本草" (Jiu Huang Ben Cao). A Ming dynasty manual by Zhu Xiao for identifying wild plants that could be eaten during famines. states: Maple Tree Buds grow in the mountain valleys of Fenggu Peak in JunzhouModern-day Yuzhou in Henan Province.. The tree reaches a height of ten to twenty feet. Its leaves are shaped similarly to wild radish leaves, with five pointed lobes. They also resemble cotton leaves, though they are thinner and smaller, and are also like loofah leaves, but very small and of a pale yellowish-green color. The tree produces white flowers.

The flavor of the leaves is sweet. To prepare them, pick the leaves and scaldoriginal: "煠" (yè). A cooking technique of quickly blanching greens in boiling water to soften them for consumption. them until they are thoroughly cooked, then soak them in water until they turn yellow. Change the water and rinse them clean, then season with oil and salt to eat.

According to the Shuowenoriginal: "説文" (Shuowen Jiezi). The first Chinese dictionary, compiled by Xu Shen around 100 CE, which provides the origins of characters and definitions of terms., Maple wood can be used to make the outer rim of a carriage wheeloriginal: "輮" (róu). The bent wooden part that forms the circumference of a wheel.. This is likely the same tree. Since Xu ShuzhongReferring to Xu Shen, the author of the Shuowen. Shuzhong was his courtesy name. was a native of Runan An ancient prefecture in present-day Henan Province., he surely would have been familiar with the trees suited to the soil of his own home region.