A medicinal dish from Pan'an county in Jinhua. [Photo/Jinhua Media Group]

The rising popularity of medicinal cuisine is evident at the National Medicinal Cuisine Training Base in Pan'an county in Jinhua, Zhejiang province, where traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and culinary techniques come together to create unique, healthy dishes.

"With over a month until Dragon Boat Festival, our zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings) made with Polygonatum sibiricum (sealwort) and black rice are already in high demand," said Xu Yongmin, a culinary master and inheritor of Pan'an medicinal cuisine, an intangible cultural heritage.

This special zongzi is one of the representative dishes of Pan'an medicinal cuisine, known for its energy-boosting properties.

Evaluating medicinal cuisine involves more than taste; it requires a balance of food and health-giving properties. The Pan'an Medicinal Cuisine Production Technical Regulations, released in 2024 with Xu as a key contributor, standardize 100 dishes.

"To bring Pan'an medicinal cuisine to the whole country, the first thing is to transform vague experiences into precise standards," Xu said.

Pan'an, known for its wide variety of over 1,400 medicinal plants, is ideal for TCM. However, crafting effective medicinal dishes requires understanding ingredient compatibility, such as pairing Polygonatum odoratum (fragrant solomonseal‌) with duck rather than chicken to produce the desired effects.

Pan'an also includes training medicinal cuisine chefs in its skilled-talent program and has already trained over 7,000, contributing to an industrial chain valued at over 3 billion yuan ($441.61 million) in 2025.