Development of mugwort dietary therapy products

Eating mugwort leaves was quite common in ancient China, with folk records in historical books mentioning the tradition of consuming mugwort liquor and cakes during the Dragon Boat Festival. In modern times, mugwort recipes are applied in various regions, such as the Lingnan areas of Guangdong and Fujian, where people make mugwort cakes and snacks. Even today, in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, mugwort-infused foods are available in traditional tea houses. Recently, the trend of consuming mugwort is moving from rural to urban areas, with dishes like mugwort cakes, mugwort-fried eggs, and mugwort meatballs gaining popularity in restaurants, especially in remote mountain regions. Health-conscious individuals, including those practicing timely dietary therapy, are buying mugwort consciously to prepare dishes for their families, aiming to nourish the stomach, dispel dampness, and kill bacteria. According to the book “Research and Application of Mugwort,” there are currently around 30 popular mugwort-based dietary products in China, highly favored by consumers and mugwort enthusiasts.

In the international market, South Korea and Japan have actively developed and utilized mugwort-based dietary products, mainly focusing on food and pharmaceuticals. Abroad, mugwort extracts are used as additives in health supplements, particularly in the production of weight-loss foods. In Korea, mugwort is used to enhance the flavor and nutritional content of various dishes.

Mugwort flavonoids exhibit antioxidant effects far superior to vitamin C. These flavonoids serve as effective, versatile natural antioxidants and free radical scavengers, showing promising potential for further development and utilization. Mugwort flavonoids also demonstrate excellent anti-tumor effects, inhibiting tumor growth without affecting body weight. The diverse medicinal activities of mugwort flavonoids lay the foundation for the development and utilization of health supplements and food additives containing mugwort flavonoids, indicating a bright future.

Mugwort is a versatile plant with both medicinal and culinary uses, featuring abundant resources, low toxicity, and affordability. Since the 1980s, various mugwort-based foods have been introduced in China, including mugwort tea, mugwort wine, and puffed mugwort snacks. Some enterprises in China specialize in processing mugwort powder for export as a food and health supplement ingredient. For instance, Langxi Shangye Zhong Food Processing Co., Ltd. in Anhui province focuses on producing mugwort food items such as mugwort cakes, mugwort dumplings, mugwort mochi, mugwort skewers, mugwort tangyuan, mugwort pastry, mugwort taiyaki, and mugwort porridge, primarily exporting to Japan and receiving wide acclaim.