The origin of the word "soap"

After looking at the answers from so many friends upstairs, I originally didn’t want to answer any more, but it was hard to cover up and not be accepted below, which in vain affected my adoption rate. However, after reading for a long time, I really didn’t see any answers from friends who know botany, so I’ll join in the fun:

First of all, let me say something: in ancient China, soap and soap were not the same thing. ! Soap has always referred to a plant, while soap is indeed a semi-synthetic detergent. It was only in modern times that after plant soap gradually faded out, pancreatic soap gradually replaced plant soap and was gradually confused with the names of plant soap and chemical soap.

Let’s talk about soap locust and soap:

Soap locust - also known as soap locust, soap locust, pig tooth soap, flat soap locust, punch soap, thorn soap, knife soap, belongs to Leguminosae/Acalocaceae/Sea Locust Genus/Sea Locust Species

Soap - also known as soap locust, soap tree, soap horn, pig soap, soap locust, oil soap, belongs to Legume/Acalyptus Family/Soap Locust/Genus Soap Locust Species

The biggest difference is that soap locust has thorns and soap locust has no thorns. However, the fruit of both soaps, namely soap locust, contains saponin, a natural plant surfactant that has foaming, decontamination, emulsifying and other functions. It is more resistant to hard water than real chemical soap and does not contain alkaline.

By the way, what is Yizi: During the Tang Dynasty, there was a kind of bath bean made by grinding pig pancreas into paste, mixing it with soybean powder and spices, and drying it-meaning for bathing. of beans. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, folk improvements were made to bath beans. Ingredients such as pig pancreas, sugar, natural sodium carbonate, lard, spices, etc. were mixed and ground in proportions, and then heated to 40°C and pressed into shape. This was called "Yizi" ".

The lard in this pancreas is partially decomposed into fatty acids by lipase, and then saponified by sodium carbonate into real fatty acid soap (the main component of modern chemical soap). However, this decomposition and saponification are incomplete. Therefore, although the product looks like modern soap, its ingredients are a semi-saponified mixture containing enzymes, which is different from modern soap and toilet soap. But it is very similar to the handmade soap that has been popular online in the past two years! Handmade soap is actually semi-saponified soap.

As for future generations, the three names of pancreas, soap, and soap pods have me in you, and you in me. This needs to be carefully distinguished.