Traditional Chinese medicine is commonly used throughout Taiwan, both for medical treatment and in cooking. However, a number of common ingredients have become increasingly expensive.
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A traditional Chinese medicine shop weighs jujube seeds, a common ingredient in soups meant to have medicinal properties. But shoppers may think twice about buying these little seeds, as they are one of the many common Chinese medicine products whose prices are going through the roof.
Many ingredients, such as female ginseng, wolfberries, and star anise, have all seen their prices rise. But jujube seeds have perhaps seen the greatest jump, rising four-fold from just a few years ago.
One medicine shop owner says the price hikes are due to low supply in Taiwan. Many ingredients are imported from China, but he says that there is no shortage of ingredients there. He says he believes Chinese suppliers may be intentionally driving up the price.
However, demand is also part of the equation. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwanese demand for traditional Chinese medicine products increased by nearly 50%.
Doctor of Chinese Medicine Chen Chao-tsung (陳潮宗) says the demand has been especially high for the concoction known as Jinhua Qinggan Granules, meant to treat COVID-19.
Some have suggested that Taiwan should increase its domestic production of ingredients to prevent supply shortages. But for now, there’s no medicine that can help the pain people are feeling in their pocketbooks.