Chenpi
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Chenpi, chen pi, or chimpi is sun-dried
mandarin orange A mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), often simply called mandarin, is a small, rounded citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. The mandarin is small and oblate, unlike the ...
peel used as a traditional seasoning in Chinese cooking and
traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) refers to the knowledge, skills, and practices rooted in the cultural beliefs of various societies, especially Indigenous groups, used for maintaining health and treatin ...
. It is aged by storing the peels dry. The taste is first slightly sweet, but the aftertaste is pungent and bitter. According to Chinese herbology, its attribute is warm. Chenpi has a common name, 'ju pi' or mandarin orange peel. Chenpi contains volatile oils which include the chemical compounds nobiletin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, tangeretin, citromitin, synephrine,
carotene The term carotene (also carotin, from the Latin ''carota'', "carrot") is used for many related unsaturated hydrocarbon substances having the formula C40Hx, which are synthesized by plants but in general cannot be made by animals (with the ex ...
, cryptoxanthin,
inositol In biochemistry, medicine, and related sciences, inositol generally refers to ''myo''-inositol (formerly ''meso''-inositol), the most important stereoisomer of the chemical compound cyclohexane-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexol. Its elemental formula, formula is ...
, vitamin B1, and vitamin C. Traditional Chinese herbal medicine uses the alcohol extracts of several citrus peels, including those extracted from
mandarin orange A mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), often simply called mandarin, is a small, rounded citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. The mandarin is small and oblate, unlike the ...
and
bitter orange The bitter orange, sour orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the hybrid citrus tree species ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'', and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of th ...
.


Identification

Since the products produced in
Xinhui Xinhui, alternately romanized as Sunwui and also known as Kuixiang, is an urban district of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China. It grew from a separate city founded at the confluence of the Tan and West Rivers. It has a population of about 735,50 ...
are purported to be the best quality, it is often called Xinhui Pi (新會皮) or Guang Chen Pi (廣陳皮). It is normally cut into shreds before serving and presenting in the raw form.


History

The practice of using citrus peels in traditional Chinese medicine originated in the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Fiv ...
and has lasted for seven hundred years. Chenpi was of high popularity through the Ming and
Qing dynasties The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
. It was shipped to foreign provinces by businessmen from
Xinhui Xinhui, alternately romanized as Sunwui and also known as Kuixiang, is an urban district of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China. It grew from a separate city founded at the confluence of the Tan and West Rivers. It has a population of about 735,50 ...
in
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
. A famous Qing doctor named Ye Gui (1667–1746) prescribed chenpi as one of the ingredients in 'Erchen Tang', a decoction consisting of two old drugs. Chenpi business brought wealth to Xinhui peasants and it also extended to food processing, logistics areas which form a food production chain. However, chenpi business declined in the 1990s until late 2002 when chenpi farmers helped set up the Chenpi Industrial Association with support from Xinhui Agriculture Bureau and Business Federation, and chenpi has regained its popularity since.


Production method

Xinhui chenpi is famous for its special production technique, where emphasis is put on peeling and storage methods. People can also do it at home.


Preparation

Prior to consumption, chenpi is soaked and rinsed with cold water until it becomes soft; the soaking time is recommended to be no longer than half an hour with a view to retaining its flavor. Afterwards, the white pith is gently scraped off from the softened peel.


Uses


Cuisine

Some tong sui desserts such as red bean soup will use this ingredient occasionally. Chenpi is used to make the Hunanese dish orange chicken. It can be also used for other kinds of food and beverages such as porridge, duck, pigeon,
mooncake A mooncake () is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋節). The festival is primarily about the harvest while a legend connects it to moon watching, and mooncakes are regarded as a delicacy. ...
s, green bean soup, jam, and wine. Chenpi-infused tea can also be prepared. In Japanese cuisine, chenpi (pronounced "chimpi" in Japanese) is a common ingredient in shichimi tōgarashi, a traditional spice mix.


Folk medicine

Chenpi is a common ingredient in Chinese folk medicine, where it is believed that it regulates '' qi'', fortifies the spleen, eliminates dampness, improves
abdominal distension Abdominal distension occurs when substances, such as air (gas) or fluid, accumulate in the abdomen causing its expansion. It is typically a symptom of an underlying disease or dysfunction in the body, rather than an illness in its own right. Peo ...
, enhances
digestion Digestion is the breakdown of large insoluble food compounds into small water-soluble components so that they can be absorbed into the blood plasma. In certain organisms, these smaller substances are absorbed through the small intestine into th ...
, and reduces
phlegm Phlegm (; , ''phlégma'', "inflammation", "humour caused by heat") is mucus produced by the respiratory system, excluding that produced by the throat nasal passages. It often refers to respiratory mucus expelled by coughing, otherwise known as ...
. There is a well-known chenpi-derived medicine named 'snake gallbladder and tangerine peel powder'. The powder is used for heart disharmonies.


Availability

Whole citrus peel is readily available from most herbal markets and specialty food stores. Some stores also sell citrus peel powder or capsules. Starting from around 2010, extensive land development for commercial and residential use in China has caused the decrease of farmland, especially in Xinhui, affecting the supply of Xinhui citrus and consequently chenpi production. This in turn has contributed to a steep increase in the price of chenpi. Based on data in late 2014, Xinhui chenpi aged one year costs around 140 HKD per kilogram while those aged 10 years cost 600 to 800 HKD per kilo. Chenpi stored for more than 20 years can reach nearly 24,000 RMB per kilogram. 65-year chenpi even costs 23,000 RMB per
tael Tael ( ),"Tael" entry
at the


See also

* *
Shichimi , also known as or simply ''shichimi'', is a common Japanese spice mixture containing seven ingredients. Tōgarashi is the Japanese name for ''Capsicum annuum'' peppers, and it is this ingredient that makes shichimi spicy. Etymology "Shic ...
, a seasoning mix containing dried mandarin peel *
Jujube Jujube (UK ; US or ), sometimes jujuba, scientific name ''Ziziphus jujuba'', and also called red date, Chinese date, and Chinese jujube, is a species in the genus '' Ziziphus'' in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. It is often confused wit ...
*
List of dried foods This is a list of dried foods. Food drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of bacteria and has been practiced worldwide since ancient times to preserve food. Where or when d ...
*
Prune A prune is a dried plum, most commonly from the European plum (''Prunus domestica'') tree. Not all plum species or varieties can be dried into prunes. Use of the term ''prune'' for fresh plums is obsolete except when applied to varieties of ...
* Succade *
Zest (ingredient) Zest is a food ingredient that is prepared by scraping or cutting from the rind of fruit_waxing, unwaxed citrus, citrus fruits such as lemon, Orange (fruit), orange, citron, and Lime (fruit), lime. Zest is used to add flavor to many different ty ...


References

{{Citrus American Chinese cuisine Cantonese cuisine Dried fruit Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Citrus dishes