Dried tangerine peel 陈皮 (chén pí)

When cooked in a dish, these dried brownish orange pieces of peel add a nutty, faintly orangy flavor; they are usually discarded before serving the dish. When the peels are simmered in a soup, they can be added directly, but otherwise they should be rehydrated in warm water before using. According to traditional Chinese medicine, dried tangerine peel can be used to treat indigestion problems, and eating it plain can cure a hangover. It is sold in bags at Asian grocery stores, but you can easily dry your own. The next time you eat a tangerine, save the skin and use a spoon to scrape off most of the white pith. Leave the peels in a dry place until they are hard and dry. Store in a tightly covered container for up to 1 year. These are also called dried mandarin orange peel.