Identifying the Quality of Moxibustion Sticks
You can assess the quality of moxa sticks by examining the following aspects:
1. Check the color: High-quality mugwort fluff appears earthy yellow, while inferior fluff is greenish or bluish-black with large stem particles. Freshly harvested mugwort fluff is greenish-blue or bluish-black with a strong scent.
2. Smell the aroma: Premium mugwort fluff has a mild, fragrant scent. Inferior fluff has an overpowering, pungent odor, sometimes even moldy.
3. Feel the texture: High-quality mugwort fluff feels soft and smooth, while low-quality fluff has a coarse texture.
4. Check compactness: High-quality moxa sticks hold together well, with tightly packed ends and good density. Even after removing the wrapping paper, they won’t completely disintegrate, ensuring even burning and more effective moxibustion. Low-quality sticks have loose packaging; removing the paper causes them to fall apart, resulting in uneven burning and inconsistent medicinal effects.
5. Feel the heat: High-quality moxa sticks emit gentle, non-aggressive heat with strong penetration. Inferior sticks produce harsh, intense heat with weak penetration, often causing burning pain.
6. Observe burn rate: High-quality moxa has fine, fluffy fluff with significantly fewer impurities than inferior moxa. Consequently, high-quality moxa burns faster than low-quality moxa.
7. Observe the ash: High-quality moxa sticks produce pale white smoke during combustion, leaving grayish-white ash that feels smooth and fine to the touch, resisting scattering. Inferior sticks burn intensely with pungent odor and heavy smoke, yielding coarse, granular black-gray ash that scatters easily.
The proportion of mugwort
The ratio of moxa powder, such as 5:1, 8:1, 10:1, or 30:1, serves as a crucial indicator for assessing the fineness and quality of moxa powder. A higher ratio indicates finer moxa powder, resulting in lighter smoke, gentler heat, and better penetration during combustion. It minimizes damage to meridians and reduces ash fallout while burning.
