According to the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2020 Edition, Volume I), this product is the dried mature fruit of gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis), a plant belonging to the family Rubiaceae. The fruits are harvested from September to November when they ripen and turn reddish-yellow. After removing the fruit stalks and impurities, the fruits are steamed until steam rises or briefly blanched in boiling water, then removed and dried.

According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2020 Edition, Volume I), Turmeric rhizome (Jiang-huang, NMM-0017) is the dried rhizome of Curcuma longa. It is dug up in winter when the stems and leaves have withered, washed, boiled or steamed until cooked through, sun-dried, and the fibrous roots removed.