Basic Introduction of Bójué
Bójué, a specialty product of Bozhou City, Anhui Province, is a product protected by national geographical indication and a national agricultural product geographical indication.
Anhui Bójué is the dried capitulum of the Chrysanthemum plant. It is large in size and white in color, mainly produced in Bozhou City, Anhui Province. Bójué is a genuine medicinal material named after “Bo” in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and it is one of the “Four Famous Chrysanthemums” along with Chujué, Gongjué, and Hangjué, being considered a precious variety among chrysanthemums. According to the “Dictionary of Traditional Chinese Medicine,” “White chrysanthemum is mainly produced in Bo County, Anhui, known as Bójué, which has the best quality.” Bójué is used for relieving wind-heat, dispelling summer heat, and improving vision. It is primarily used during the spring and summer seasons, and over the years, it has been the preferred chrysanthemum variety for traditional Chinese medicine.
Bozhou City is located at the southern end of the Huanghuai Plain, bordering Zhoukou and Shangqiu cities in Henan Province, and adjacent to HuaiBei, Suzhou, Bengbu, Huainan, and Fuyang cities within Anhui Province. The terrain is generally flat, slightly higher in the northwest and tilting southeastward, with an elevation ranging from 42.5 meters to 21.8 meters. Most areas on both sides of the main river, the Weir River, were deposited in the late Quaternary period (15,000 years ago to present) due to flooding from the Yellow River, forming alluvial plains. The main types of soil in the region are silt black soil (black silt), mixed soil, and alluvial soil. Soil nutrients show moderate to high levels of organic matter, moderate to low levels of total nitrogen, moderate phosphorus, and moderately high potassium. The pH value of the soil is between 6.4 and 6.7, with average organic matter content ranging from 10 to 20 grams per kilogram, total nitrogen content from 1.00 to 1.50 grams per kilogram, available phosphorus from 12.00 to 18.30 milligrams per kilogram, and available potassium from 125.00 to 180.00 milligrams per kilogram. The soil in Bozhou is fertile, well-draining, and slightly acidic, making it suitable for the growth of Bójué. On July 20, 2025, the National Intellectual Property Administration approved Bójué as a protected geographical indication product. The protected area includes the administrative regions of Jiaocheng District in Bozhou City, Yimen Town, Chenda Town, Paifang Town, Huagou Town, Longshan Town, Nanzhen Town, Xingyuan Street, Chengguan Street, Tianjinggong Street, Gaolu Town, Xiyang Town, and Biaoli Town in Guoyang County; Xiaojian Town, Yuefang Town, Maji Town, Xiaoxinji Township, and Chengguan Street in Mengcheng County, for a total of 42 towns and subdistricts.
Nutritional Value
The taste of Bójué is slightly pungent, sweet, and bitter, and its nature is slightly cold;
Bójué is effective in relieving wind-heat, dispelling summer heat, and improving vision. It is also used to clear the liver and improve vision, disperse wind and cool heat, and alleviate cough and pain. It is particularly effective in treating headaches, dizziness, redness and swelling of the eyes, wind-heat colds, and coughs. If you accidentally catch a wind-heat cold, you can drink Bójué with rock sugar. In summer, you can cook porridge with Bójué and rice to prevent heatstroke.
It is also used in modern times for coronary heart disease and hypertension.
1. Lowering Blood Pressure: Chrysanthemum can lower blood pressure, eliminate cancer cells, dilate the coronary artery, and inhibit bacteria. Long-term consumption can increase calcium levels in the body, regulate cardiac muscle function, and lower cholesterol, making it suitable for middle-aged and elderly people and those seeking to prevent epidemic conjunctivitis.
2. Improving Vision: In addition to applying chrysanthemum topically to reduce eye swelling, you can also drink Chrysanthemum tea to relieve eye fatigue. Drinking 3-4 cups of chrysanthemum Tea daily can help improve vision.
3. Refreshing: Chrysanthemum acts as a nerve tonic, enhancing the resistance of capillaries, which can delay aging and enhance physical strength. Chrysanthemum has good sedative effects, and regular consumption can relax the limbs and refresh the mind.
Product Characteristics
1. Sensory Characteristics: The chrysanthemum is shaped like an inverted cone or cylinder, with a diameter of 1.5 to 3.1 cm. The involucral bracts are ovate, 3 to 4 layers thick, herbaceous, and appear yellow-green or brown-green. There are several layers of ray flowers located on the periphery, white in color, upright, and raised; there are many tube flowers, yellow in color, with five teeth at the apex. The chrysanthemum is light in weight, soft and moist in texture. It has a fragrant aroma and a sweet, slightly bitter taste.
2. Physicochemical Indicators: Moisture ≤15.0%, impurities ≤7.5%, total ash ≤5.0%, chlorogenic acid ≥0.30%, luteolin glucoside ≥0.08%, 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid ≥0.90%.
Historical and Folklore
The connection between Bozhou and Bójué and other Chinese medicinal herbs dates back to the Eastern Han Dynasty. Since Hua Tuo cultivated medicinal herb gardens, dug herb ponds, built herb houses, and planted herbs, the cultivation of herbs in Bozhou has continued for more than 1,800 years without interruption, earning it the name “Hometown of Hua Tuo.”
The “Dictionary of China” states: “White chrysanthemum is mainly produced in Bo County, Anhui, known as Bójué, which has the best quality”; according to the “Chinese Materia Medica,” Bójué and Chujué have the highest quality among medicinal chrysanthemums; the 20th-century Chinese materia medica, “Chinese Herbal Medicine,” also states that Bójué and Chujué have the best quality.
Through over 20 years of research by medical experts, it has been proven that Bójué has a long history of cultivation. Medicinal chrysanthemums north of the Huai River share genetic relationships with Bójué, such as Ji Chrysanthemum in Shandong, which was introduced from Bozhou in the Qing Dynasty. According to “The Pharmaceutical History of Qizhou” written by Zhao Juhuang in 1936, Qijué was also transplanted from Bozhou or the origin of Huai Chrysanthemum. The morphological characteristics of Huai Chrysanthemum are identical to those of Bójué, and some believe it was introduced from Bozhou.
Since the 21st century, due to long-term asexual propagation, planting degradation, and market factors, the planting area of Bójué has gradually decreased and shrunk. In response to this situation, starting in 2009, the CPC Jiaocheng District Committee and the People's Government of Jiaocheng District of Bozhou City, in accordance with the requirements of the “Bozhou Modern Chinese Medicine Industry Development Plan” to fully develop local medicinal materials, actively applied for demonstration and promotion projects of efficient cultivation techniques for Chinese medicinal herbs. They focused on research and development of key projects such as resource collection and identification of Bójué and the construction of a virus-free planting and breeding system for Bójué, laying a solid foundation for the development of local medicinal materials, Bójué.
There are currently eight major production areas for medicinal chrysanthemums in China. Chrys