In French it is known as terroir, in Chinese di dao or dao di, the recognition that the earth where a particular crop is grown has significant impact on it's flavor and nutrient content, and that certain regions are well known, and may even produce the best examples of a given fruit, vegetable or herb. Many factors contribute to this importance of place - the soil, the nutrient makeup of the subsoil, of course the climate and the micro-climate (such as in a valley or mountain slope), even the drainage of the soil and elevation can play a huge part in the character of an herb. Herbs from di dao sources are specifically known for their potency and effectiveness. Many herbs are so sensitive to their environment that they simply won't grow anywhere else. Goji berries are an interesting example as the plant will often grow here in southern California, but rarely ever fruits to the degree that it would in the mountains of China. Goji Berries in particular absorb many minerals from the soil, and great examples of Goji are not just sweet but very mineral rich in taste.
I often use wine as an example to my clients, and customers, as its an easy thing to experiment with. Taste a cabernet from Bordeaux, Tuscany, and Northern California and you will find incredibly different flavor profiles. With a little research you can take this further, and actually find vineyards in all 3 places that were started from the same root stock. Yet the geography in which they developed has impacted their flavor to the extent that they are unrecognizable from each other. Great winemakers know this and will often barrel grapes from different parts of their vineyard individually, and then blend them together during bottling to yield the best flavor profile.
This was illustrated to me once during a tour of the cellars at David Arthur, a vineyard in Napa Valley. The owner, and winemaker let us taste directly from the barrels which were marked with elevation, and which side of the mountain they were on. Although they were of the same root stock, their flavors were very different, and each found their way in to the final blend in varying amounts.
Why is this important in Chinese medicine and herbalism? Two of the primary factors we learn about when studying Chinese herbalism are taste and temperature. It is these two important factors which help determine where the herb travels in the body, and what conditions the herb helps treat. Formulas are balanced not just by the function or category of the individual herbs, but also by their individual taste and temperature. If we're not cognizant of our herbal sources, how can we be sure the herb is going to perform as intended. The Chinese Materia Medica has been expanded, edited, and critiqued since the time of Shen Nong (2800 B.C.), and since the publication of the Shennong Ben Cao Jing, 神农本草经 (200-250 A.D.). The region where an herb is sourced is always mentioned with each herb entry in the in the Ben Cao, and continues in the modern Materia Medica. In some cases, herbs from different regions, even though they are the exact same species, are indicated for different illnesses. There are now departments in Chinese Universities devoted to the research of herbs, their source, and their effectiveness in treatment. You can often find these studies posted on Pubmed, and a few are listed below for easy reference.
With all of the negative press coming out of China about food contamination and pollution, it is our natural instinct to shut out all products from China. However, I often stress that China is a very large country, and the vast majority of the country is still extremely rural, and unpolluted. Imagine flying into Newark, NJ or Long Beach, CA and believing that surely Montana, and South Dakota must look the same. Or that because Jack In the Box had issues with E.Coli poisoning years ago that all American food is poison. These are some of the mindsets that I encounter when I mention Chinese herbs.
Of course, as Americans we are concerned with our food sources, and we often look to organic labels as a fail safe. Yet few people know that there are over 20 pesticides approved for use in organic farming. And that the farmers are only required to document the use of pesticides, not to provide test results. The USDA only tests about 5% of the farms each year.
When it comes to herb sources I look to companies that source their herbs from the regions known to produce the best varietal of a given herb. In many cases the herb company has a relationship with individual farmers and specific villages, and is not purchasing their herbs through third parties or wholesalers. I also look to their authentication and testing procedures. Only then do I decide to carry or recommend an herb or herbal company. Reputable companies will provide test results and COA's for each batch of herbs. I would encourage herbal consumers and practitioners to look deeply at their herbal companies and their sources when choosing products. The research is out there, one just needs to look past the news headlines. Below you will also find links for videos by Eric Brand discussing the importance of di tao, and Ron Teeguarden detailing some of the sources of his herbs.
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https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-007-4945-0_4
http://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2016/03/15/what-daodi-medicinal-material
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22993972
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23236775
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26697699
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22032126
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24380321
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyHxFjbqQLg
http://www.dragonherbs.com/educationalvideos.asp
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