These concentrated extract powders are a clean, simple, economical way to use Chinese herbs. Plum Flower makes these from their fumigant free herbs and tests them all for heavy metals, bacteria, etc. They are suitable to put into capsules, make into instant tea, etc. 5:1 ratio means 5 pounds of whole herb becomes 1 pound of extract. Each ships with a 1 gm spoon to help you with dosing.