Taiwan red cypress is one of the few "relict plants" in the world. It belongs to the Tertiary relict species. Its ancestors coexisted with plants from the late dinosaur era and survived the Ice Age and tectonic changes to this day. Therefore, Taiwan red cypress is not only an ancient tree, but also a survivor from an ancient forest.

The yield of Damask rose essential oil is extremely low; one kilogram of Damask rose essential oil requires approximately 3-5 metric tons of rose petals, hence its reputation as "liquid gold." Harvesting time is also limited; it must be completed shortly after sunrise. The volatile aromatic molecules in roses gradually dissipate as temperatures rise, so most producing areas complete harvesting between sunrise and approximately 10 AM to preserve the best aroma and quality.

A common misconception among Taiwanese people about Hinoki: The same applies to the Japanese cypress (Hinoki var. chinensis), which is called the yellow cypress (Hinoki var. chinensis). Therefore, it is not the red cypress (Hinoki var. chinensis)! The red cypress is also known as Meniki or Benihi in Japanese.

In East Asian culture, plum blossoms symbolize elegance, resilience, and the vitality of early spring. They often bloom before the cold winter has completely faded, representing endurance and rebirth. White plum blossoms have a delicate, sweet fragrance, but their petals have extremely low oil content, making them difficult to extract into essential oils; they are mostly made into absolutes or extracts.

The refreshing lemon scent actually comes from its leaves. The leaves contain many tiny oil glands, which release aromatic molecules when the leaves are gently rubbed, blown by the wind, or heated. This aroma is not from limonene, which is commonly found on lemon peels; it primarily comes from citronellal.

The spray that comes out when you squeeze an orange peel is the essential oil itself! The Shonan Golden Orange from Japan looks like a lemon but is less acidic and has a refreshing citrus scent. The inside is a bright orange color.

Plum blossoms are often depicted with five petals. Besides their original characteristics, in East Asia they also symbolize the five blessings: longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a peaceful death, or fortune, prosperity, longevity, happiness, and wealth.

Fragrant coconut, one of Malaysia's top varieties, has a slight pandan leaf flavor when drinking.

When the xylem of an agarwood tree is damaged by external forces or infected by fungi, the tree secretes resin to cover the wound as a self-defense mechanism. This resin slowly fuses with the wood fibers and accumulates over decades, even centuries, to form the dark, dense, and sinking wood we know today. This is the origin of the name "agarwood"—wood that sinks in water. In ancient China, agarwood was a favorite of royalty and high-ranking officials. In the Song Dynasty, a single piece of fine agarwood cost ten thousand coins and was hailed as the "King of Incense." By the Ming Dynasty, due to its even greater scarcity, it had become "an inch of agarwood worth an inch of gold," comparable in value to gold itself.

The spines of a cactus are actually degenerated leaves. What we perceive as leaves are actually stems! To adapt to arid conditions and reduce surface area exposed to water, they evolved to use thick, fleshy stems instead of leaves for photosynthesis. The Penghu cactus flower has a very short flowering period, only 1-3 days, and blooms only once a year, so seeing it is very lucky and rare.

Originating in Central and South America, this exotic species is several times spicier than regular chili peppers, reaching 50,000 to 100,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU). The hottest part of the bird's eye chili isn't the seed, but the white, spongy tissue in the center where the seed is attached after being cut open.