Chinese Rhubarb (Rheum palmatum) rhizomes

Scientific name: Rheum palmatum

Family: Polygonaceae

Local name: Rhubarb, Yao Yong Da Huang.

Plant portion: Rhizomes

Harvest: China

Used since time immemorial as a spice, medicine and for the production of incense in Buddhist and Taoist monasteries.

It should be used in small quantities as the powder is very fine it may choke your stick and overwhelm the aromas of other materials too much, so I recommend adding gradually into your blends.

AROMA:

The first impact to smell the rhizome is acidic, like the fermentation of some vegetables in vinegar. Spicy, earthy with reminiscences of licorice. It develops later with slightly floral notes, to me it reminds me of the Broom flower or the coumarins of the Sweet Clover.

When burning incense, the acidulus disappears to make room for purer notes, obviously everything will also depend on the other components you put in your mixtures.

Components:

Anthraquinones: emodin, rhein, chrysophanol, physicalion, aloe-emodin,

Stilbenes: resveratrol, piceatannol,

Anthraquinone glucosides: sennosides A, sennosides B, glucorhein,

Flavonoids: quercetin, rutin, catechin,

Phenolic acids: gallic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid,

Tannins: gallotannins, catechins, proanthocyanidins,

Saponins: rheiosides A, rheiosides B, rheiosides C,

Volatile compounds: alpha-pinene, limonene, beta-caryophyllene