The nodules are very solid and must be crushed and ground to achieve their full extraction. Very good quality and potent.
Hard as stone
I am very, very pleased by the unusually high quality of the Tian Qi I purchased from Plum Dragon.
The radices were tight, hard, and compact, had the very firm, tough woody exterior, but by scent alone I could tell that it was dried and cured to perfection, and was not old stock that's been sitting around forever.
I cut some of it up. The consistency I expected was there, and the scent became very noticeable when I cut into it-- another sign that your herb is 100% good to go.
Finally, I sampled its flavor. It had that peculiar, sour-but-not-too-sour "sweetish" flavor going for it, along with a sort of bitter "afterbite", which is, IME, yet another sign of the perfect medicinal product.
I have studied and worked with Chinese herbal preparations and other traditional Chinese medicinal practices since the late 1980's. I have dealt with a multitude of vendors and apothecaries over the years.
All I can tell you now is this: I'll never wonder who I'll buy my Tian Qi from, ever again. What I got from Plum Dragon Herbs was a Class A product.
You add to this prompt, courteous, and professional customer service, and folks: that's about as good as it gets.
Well done, Plum Dragon!
--Robert D. Gregg