Autumn arrives, painting the earth in hues of gold. Millennia-old ginkgo trees adorn themselves in golden armor, seemingly hiding all the summer sunlight within. Each leaf whispers, narrating the passage of time.

In the distant era of the Mesozoic, when dinosaurs left their clumsy footprints on Earth, ginkgoes quietly grew, accompanying the planet. They stand as profound sages, silently witnessing the tumultuous passage of ages, the growth of all things, the cycle of seasons, and the evolution of history.

Ginkgo leaves are a coveted delicacy for herbivores. The abundant ginkgo nuts not only offer a rich flavor but also possess unique medicinal value, revered through the ages as precious herbal medicine.

Ginkgo nuts belong to the Ginkgoaceae family, with an oval shape that's yellow-white or light yellow-brown on the surface, smooth and hard, slightly pointed at one end and blunt at the other, with a membranous inner seed coat. One end is light brown, the other golden-yellow and the kernel is powdery. They have a small core, turning light yellow or orange-yellow when ripe, typically from July to October.

Ginkgoes thrive in sunlight, with deep roots and a wide adaptability to varying climates and soils. They can grow in regions with high temperatures and rainfall or scarce precipitation and cold winters, but they don't tolerate saline-alkali soils or excessively wet conditions. Ginkgo trees can be propagated through methods like seeding, hardwood cuttings, and sucker division. In 1999, they were classified as first-level protected wild plants in China and can be cultivated artificially.

Ginkgo trees, the sole surviving species from primitive plants 200 million years ago, transform into a golden hue in autumn. If male branches are nearby, female trees bear the edible and medicinal ginkgo nuts. Although ginkgo nuts hold high nutritional and medicinal value, excessive consumption can lead to poisoning.

The ginkgo nuts contain a slight toxicity, with hydrogen cyanide. The outer skin and the embryo inside the fruit, especially the green embryo, possess the strongest toxicity. Hence, if one enjoys consuming them, removing the skin and embryo inside is advisable.

According to modern medical research, ginkgo nuts contain a substance similar to strychnine. Injecting its solution into experimental animals induces convulsions, leading to eventual death due to medullary paralysis.

When consumed as dried fruits, ginkgo nuts must be cooked or made into preserves. Raw ginkgo nuts exhibit strong detoxification and insecticidal properties, but excessive raw consumption is not recommended.

In the realm of medicine, it's advised to consume 15-30 cooked ginkgo nuts per person per serving, and consuming more without the embryo is permissible. For raw consumption, 6-10 nuts per person is recommended. For children, consuming more than 5 raw nuts at once or 7-15 nuts can lead to poisoning. Roasting reduces the toxicity, but excessive intake at one time is still not advisable.

Severe ginkgo nut poisoning can result in respiratory paralysis and rapid symptom escalation, requiring immediate emergency medical attention. In urgent situations, consuming egg whites or a decoction of 30g of ginkgo nut shells or 60g of licorice in water is recommended.