How A Wild Berry Is Helping To Protect China's Giant Pandas And Its Countryside
Long before it became a "superfood" in the U.S., schisandra was made into soups and jams and prized as a medicinal plant. Now the berry is at the center of a dramatic new approach to conservation.
In the cool mountains of the Upper Yangtze region, Chinese villagers clamber up dogwood and maple trees to gather what Dr. Oz has called a "miracle anti-aging pill." The small, red schisandra berry has a peculiar taste — five tastes, in fact, because it's considered to be at once sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent.
Chinese restaurants serve it macerated in alcohol from tall glass containers, like the office water cooler, where customers can fill a cup. Long before it became a "superfood" in the U.S., schisandra was made into bright-colored juices, jams and savory soups. It has always been a medicinal plant, prized for its ability to calm
