Zhidan Dijiao

Zhidan Dijiao

　　Zhidan Dijiao is a specialty of Zhidan County in Yan’an City, Shaanxi Province. Dijiao, also known as Dijiaojiao, thyme, or mountain pepper, is a perennial shrub-like herbaceous plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Dijiao is hailed as one of the “Three Treasures of Zhidan.”

　　It grows about one chi tall, with stems that creep along the ground and numerous branches. The lower parts of the stem are woody and reddish-brown, while the flowering stems grow upright to a height of about half a chi. The leaves are opposite, long-oval in shape, and the flowers are labiate, red-white or purplish-red in color. The calyx is green and bell-shaped, and the small fruit is oval. According to *Compendium of Materia Medica*, “Dijiao comes from the northern regions, being the smaller variety of trailing pepper. Its leaves grow close to the ground, are small in size, and have a slightly pungent taste. Locals use it when cooking lamb, which becomes fragrant and delicious.” Dijiao is an excellent forage grass, distributed throughout the region but more abundantly in counties such as Zhidan, Wuqi, and Ansai, making it an important fodder for sheep. Sheep that feed on it yield tender and flavorful meat without a strong gamy smell, hence the particularly delicious lamb dishes from Zhidan, Ansai, and Wuqi. When in full bloom, its fragrance wafts through the mountains and can even be smelled across the river. Its main components include carvacrol and cymene. The whole plant can be used medicinally. It is harvested in early autumn and dried in the shade. It has a pungent taste and warm nature, with mild toxicity. It can relieve spasms, dispel wind, soothe coughs, and resolve phlegm. Folk remedies use Dijiao boiled in water to treat stomach pain, showing noticeable efficacy. People in northern counties often have the habit of eating fried flour. The *Yan’an Prefecture Annals of Shaanxi* record: “(Oats) are widely planted by locals, harvested in September. The grains are finer than wheat, with less husk, and are excellent when roasted.” When making fried flour, adding Dijiao leaves enhances the flavor. Its seeds also serve as an excellent seasoning for boiled lamb. Therefore, Dijiao is considered one of the “Three Treasures of Zhidan and Wuqi.”