Chrysanthemum Leaves

Photo: flickr user MShades

About

Chrysanthemums, often called mums, are a genus (Chrysanthemum) of about 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae, native to Asia and northeastern Europe. Medicinal uses Extracts of Chrysanthemum plants (stem and flower) have been shown to have a wide variety of potential medicinal properties, including anti-HIV-1, antibacterial and antimycotic Insecticidal uses Chrysanthemum coronarium in the Tel Aviv botanical garden Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum [or Tanacetum] cinerariaefolium) is economically important as a natural source of insecticide. The flowers are pulverized, and the active components called pyrethrins, contained in the seed cases, are extracted and sold in the form of an oleoresin. This is applied as a suspension in water or oil, or as a powder. Pyrethrins attack the nervous systems of all insects, and inhibit female mosquitoes from biting. When not present in amounts fatal to insects, they still appear to have an insect repellent effect. They are harmful to fish, but are far less toxic to mammals and birds than many synthetic insecticides and are non-persistent, being biodegradable and also breaking down easily on exposure to light. They are considered to be amongst the safest insecticides for use around food. (Pyrethroids are synthetic insecticides based on natural pyrethrum, e.g., permethrin.)

Information

Other names: Mums

Translations: Chrysanthemum lapas, Chrizantema lapai, Chrysanthemum Frunze, Krizantema Lišće, Lá hoa cúc, Liście chryzantem, गुलदाउदी पत्तियां, Листья хризантемы, Χρυσάνθεμο Φύλλα, أوراق أقحوان, 국화 잎, Chrysanthemum Listy, Daun Krisan, Chrysanthemum dahon, 菊花叶, Les fulles del Crisantem, Chrysanthemum Listi, Chrysanthemum Listy, Foglie di crisantemo, חרצית עלים, Хризантема Оставља, 菊葉, Chrysanthemum Feuilles, Las hojas del Crisantemo, Листя хризантеми, Krysanteemi Lehdet, Chrysanthemum листа

Physical Description

The flowers occur in various forms, and can be daisy-like, decorative, pompons or buttons. This genus contains many hybrids and thousands of cultivars developed for horticultural purposes. In addition to the traditional yellow, other colors are available, such as white, purple, and red. The most important hybrid is Chrysanthemum × morifolium (syn. C. × grandiflorum), derived primarily from C. indicum but also involving other species.

Colors: Green leaves

Tasting Notes

Flavors: Bitter, Pungent

Mouthfeel: Earthy, Crispy

Beverage complements: Tea

Substitutes: Herbs such as basil

Selecting and Buying

Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december

Choosing: Chrysanthemums are broken into two basic groups, Garden Hardy and Exhibition. Garden hardy mums are new perennials capable of being wintered over in the ground in most northern latitudes. Exhibition varieties are not usually as sturdy. Garden hardies are defined by their ability to produce an abundance of small blooms with little if any mechanical assistance (i.e., staking) and withstanding wind and rain. Exhibition varieties on the other hand require staking, over-wintering in a relatively dry cool environment, sometimes with the addition of night lights.

Buying: Chrysanthemum leaves are usually sold in either tea shops or Asian markets. They are available all year long but that is because they are dried.

Preparation and Use

Yellow or white chrysanthemum flowers are boiled to make a sweet drink in some parts of Asia. The resulting beverage is known simply as "chrysanthemum tea" (菊花茶, pinyin: júhuā chá, in Chinese). Chrysanthemum tea has many medicinal uses, including an aid in recovery from influenza. In Korea, a rice wine flavored with chrysanthemum flowers is called gukhwaju.Chrysanthemum leaves are steamed or boiled and used as greens, especially in Chinese cuisine. Other uses include using the petals of chrysanthemum to mix with a thick snake meat soup (蛇羹) in order to enhance the aroma.

Cleaning: Chrysanthemum-leaves need no cleaning. Unless you have picked it fresh, then rinse off any debris or dirt under cold water.

Conserving and Storing

Conserve and store chrysanthemum-leaves in an airtight jar and place it in a cool place.

Social/Political

The chrysanthemum is one of the "Four Gentlemen" (四君子) of China (the others being the plum blossom, the orchid, and bamboo). The chrysanthemum is said to have been favored by Tao Qian, an influential Chinese poet, and is symbolic of nobleness. It is also one of the 4 symbolic seasonal flowers.
A Chrysanthemum Festival is held each year in Tongxiang, near Hangzhou, China.
Chrysanthemums are the topic in hundreds of poems of China. [9]
The "golden flower" referred to in the 2006 movie Curse of the Golden Flower is a chrysanthemum

History: Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC.[1] An ancient Chinese city (Xiaolan Town of Zhongshan City) was named Ju-Xian, meaning "chrysanthemum city". The plant is particularly significant during the Double Ninth Festival. The flower was introduced into Japan probably in the 8th century AD, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. There is a "Festival of Happiness" in Japan that celebrates the flower.