The Chinese name wu-wei-zi, meaning “five flavor-seeds.” The taste is perceived as “balanced” since one can sweet, sour, bitter, pungent (hot), and salty all at once. Schisandra chinensis occurs in northeast Asia. Most of the supply comes from China, though there is some production in eastern Europe and Russia. The fruits are an official remedy in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was first listed in the primary class of herbs in the classic herbal of the divine plowman emperor Shen-Nong, Shen-Nong Ben Cao Jing . Virtually all of the herbs listed in Shen Nong’s primary class of herbs are the most important Chinese medicinal plants to this day. Primary traditional uses of Schisandra fruit in Chinese medicine include the treatment of nervous conditions, cough, and liver conditions, in addition to being a general tonic. These uses have been confirmed by modern research.

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