China has a long history of eating osmund. As far back as the late Shang and early Zhou Dynasty, there were records of people picking and eating osmund, including the records in Erya (an early Chinese lexicon possibly assembled in the Qin (221–207 BC) or early Han (206 BC–220 AD) Dynasty that is considered a classic work of Chinese literature and is sometimes ranked with the Five Classics in importance and influence. It is a compilation of words found in texts from the Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BC) and is organized into 19 categories). Sheng Nong’s Herbal Classic recorded osmund as one of the Chinese herd medicines with the functions of activating blood circulation, clearing away heat and dampness and nourishing liver for improving eyesight.

Tongdong County is one of the main production areas of osmund in China. Since 1970, the county has developed osmund processing industry, exporting dried osmund to Japan and Southeast Asian countries.

(Translated by Yang Hong)