Nine Steams, Nine Sun-Dries: Why Carmen Only Sells Export-Grade Huangjing

"Try a piece of this," Carmen says, holding out a dark, glossy root. "What's it called? 黄精 (huang jing), not 黄金 (gold) — 黄精. Nine steams, nine sun-dries." Carmen runs Fosetter in Montreal's Chinatown, and this is one of the slower products on her shelf to make.

What "nine steams, nine sun-dries" means

"It goes through nine rounds of processing," she says. "Not just sun — moonlight too. So nine steams, nine sun-dries, this one's genuinely hard to come by."

Why she only sells the export grade

Buyers sometimes come in asking for "top grade" or "seven-head" huangjing, implying the more expensive the better. Carmen's own rule is different: "We can really only buy the export-grade huangjing." She's upfront about the tradeoff: "With export-grade huangjing, I honestly don't know if it can match the other properties of the really top-tier stuff." But there's a line she won't cross on the other side: "At minimum, an exported product has to pass on heavy-metal content. Food safety is something we take very seriously here in Canada." Her bottom line: "The effects might not be as strong as the top-tier version, but I can guarantee our goods — especially with herbal products like this — the heavy metals are not over the limit."

How to eat it, and who it's traditionally for

"Try it, I'll break off a piece for you," she says, handing one over. "You can just boil it in water." It also pairs with ginseng: "If you're feeling run-down, pair it with our American ginseng and boil that in water."

Carmen also describes who she traditionally recommends it to: once processed, she says it's mainly for adults, not children, and particularly for adults who tire easily — she describes it as good for the heart and legs in that context. She notes it's not something she'd suggest during a woman's period, though she says it's fine the rest of the time. These are her own traditional-use notes from the counter, not a medical claim, and they shouldn't replace advice from a doctor or pharmacist.