#ChingChi

Deep within the forests and fields of Thailand, a hardy shrub with tangled branches and sharp spines has played a subtle yet enduring role in traditional healing. Known locally as ชิงชี่ (Ching Chi) and by a multitude of other evocative regional names—from กระดาดป่า in Chonburi, to เม็งซอ in Chiang Mai, and พญาจอมปลวก in the Northeast—this plant, scientifically classified as Capparis micracantha DC., boasts a lineage stretching through centuries. While its tangled roots were once gathered in village apothecaries for herbal remedies, modern science is now beginning to unravel the real pharmacological promise hidden within.