These Chinese herbs are commonly used in Chinese cuisine, so I put a list together for people who are not familiar with them, though it's not a comprehensive list.
Please check out my post on more commonly used herbs and ingredients here.
These herbs are usually cooked for a long time in liquid to make tea or soups, in order to release the essences that are believed to balance and regulate physical functions when taken in moderate and appropriate amount. The most popular one, I would say, is the goji berry, which is probably the mildest among the milder ones. (Example: Goji Strawberry Soup) A lot of them can add depth and sophistication to the flavor of the dish as well and Chinese chefs love to use them.
You should consult your physician before having them if you are pregnant, senior, ill or are allergic to any food.
Chinese Herbs:
- American Ginseng 花旗参 (hua qi shen) (more)
- Astragalus root 黄芪 (huang qi) or Milkvetch root (more)
- Chinese Angelica Root 当归 (dang gui) (more)
- Chinese pearl barley or Coix seeds 薏仁 (yi mi) (more)
- Chinese wolfberries / goji berry 枸杞子 (gou ji zi) (more)
- Chinese yam 淮山 (huai shan) (more)
- Codonopsis root 党参 (dang shen) (more)
- Cordyceps 东虫夏草 (dong chong xia cao) (more)
- Dried Fleeceflower root / fo-ti 何首乌 (he shou wu) (more)
- Dried lily bulbs 百合 (bai he) (more)
- Dried tangerine peel 陈皮 (chen pi) (more)
- Euryale seeds / fox nuts / gorgon fruit / semen euryale 芡實 (qian shi) (more)
- Ginkgo nuts 白果 (bai guo) (more)
- Ginseng 人参 (ren sheng) (more)
- Hawthorn berry / Chinese Hawthorn 山楂 (shan za) (more)
- Indian bread / Poria 茯苓 (fu ling) (more)
- Lady Bell Root or Adenophora Root 沙參 (sha shen) (more)
- Lotus Seeds 蓮子 (lian zi) (more)
- Luo Han Guo 羅漢果 (luo han guo) (more)
- Red dates or Jujube 红枣 (hong zao) (more)
- Siberian Solomon's Seal 黃精 (huang jing) (more)
- Solomon's Seal Rhizome, Polygonatum Root 玉竹 (yu zhu) (more)
American Ginseng 花旗参 (hua qi shen)
It is reputed to be a gentle cooling herb and is found in Northeast America. Ancient Chinese believe it can balance the energy flow in the body.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Astragalus Root 黄芪 (huang qi) or Milkvetch root
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| Huang Qi |
It is a root with a mild and pleasant licorice-like taste. Ancient Chinese believe it can improve the immunization and healing function of the body. It is a common ingredient to make a gentle tonic drink, together with Goji and Red Dates, for daily consumption.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Chinese Angelica Root 当归 (dang gui)
It is the dried root of a perennial plant that is cultivated in both China and Japan for culinary and medicinal use. These roots are usually sold in pre-cut slices in addition to whole root forms.
Dang guai herb has a strong earthy, woodsy tastes like ginseng – sweet, pungent, with a little bitterness. It can turn rather bitter after cooking for long.
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| Dang Gui |
In Chinese medicine, dang guai is a mildly warming herb that nourishes the blood and invigorates blood circulation. It is believed to help regulate menstrual cycles, and strengthen the heart, liver, and spleen, thus has been used mostly to relieve symptoms of gynecological conditions such as menstruation pain, recovery from childbirth, menopause, and fatigue / low vitality in tradition Chinese medicine. Although dang guai is often used for women, this herb can also benefit men.
Dang guai is commonly used with other herbs in Chinese confinement soups and tonic soups to improve vitality, menopausal or other gynecological ailments.
To use: soak the whole root in cold water for 5 minutes, then rinse and drain. If use the pre-cut slices, rinse briefly. It takes around 2 hours to cook the whole root and 20 to 30 min to cook the pre-sliced dang guai.
To use: soak the whole root in cold water for 5 minutes, then rinse and drain. If use the pre-cut slices, rinse briefly. It takes around 2 hours to cook the whole root and 20 to 30 min to cook the pre-sliced dang guai.
Chinese pearl barley or Coix seeds 薏仁 (yi mi)
It is believed to help in diuretic function thus alleviate bloating, swelling due to fluid/water retention of the body. It's also called "Job's Tear" at some health food centers.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Chinese wolfberries or Goji Berry 枸杞子 (gou ji zi)
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| Goji Berry |
They have a pleasant sweet tone and are very common in Chinese cooking and drinks. They are believed to help the body to relax, recover from fatigue, aid the liver in detoxication of the body and prevent too much eye muscle strain that causes nearsightedness.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Chinese yam 淮山 (huai shan)
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| Fresh Chinese Yam |
It has a mild sweet tone and can be served raw as in salad or cooked in stir-fry or soups.
When dried, it usually comes in pre-sliced form and is commonly used in herbal medicinal soups to improve appetite, treat coughs, strengthen the lungs, and tonify the energy flow, the spleen, and the kidney. The Chinese Yam is considered gentle, neutral and mild in nature and can be consumed regularly to strengthen the body vitality without over-heating or undermine the yin energy.
To use: rinse the fresh yam and peel, or rinse the dried pre-sliced yam before cooking. It takes 1 to 2 hours to cook the dried yam but only 20 minutes to cook the fresh one.
Codonopsis root 党参 (dang shen)
Cordyceps 东虫夏草 (dong chong xia cao)
Dried Fleeceflower root / fo-ti 何首乌 (he shou wu)
To use: rinse before cooking.
Dried lily bulbs 百合 (bai he)
Lily Bulb is a starchy root vegetable from the Lilium flowering plant family. The fresh produce is used commonly in stir-fry dishes or soups. When dried it is used as a herbal remedy in Chinese medicine.
Fresh lily bulb has a hint of sweetness and a crispy texture. It is considered to have sweet and cooling properties and is nourishing for the lungs, heart meridians. It is used to relieve coughs, dry throats, reduce the heat and irritation in body, calm the nerves, help sleeping and moisten the lungs.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Dried tangerine peel 陈皮 (chen pi)
It is the sun-dried peel of the orange or tangerine citrus fruit. It is prized for their distinct bitter yet refreshing and fragrant taste. When dried, the orange peel becomes brittle, dark brown on the skin side and yellowish brown on the pithy side. It is often used in Chinese soups, stews, desserts, marinades and tea. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is known for a warming property and anti-virus, anti-bacteria effect and is often used to improve blood circulation. It can help in digestion and heal wet coughs caused by excessive phlegm accumulated in the lungs.
In China, the orange peels are sometimes pre-soaked in snake bile before sun-dried to enhance its warming and nourishing power for medical purpose. This type of orange peel will be much darker in color and also more bitter.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Euryale seeds / fox nuts / gorgon fruit / semen euryale 芡实 (qian shi)
The ripe seeds of the annual plant Euryale ferox sallisb are collected in late autumn to early winter. They are peeled, seeded, shelled, sun-dried and then crushed. They are sold unprocessed or lightly roasted after dried and crushed. They have sweet, astringent, neutral properties in ancient Chinese medicinal practice and they are often used in tonics to support spleen and kidney functions. They don't have discernible smell or strong flavor and can be used in sweet or savory food preparation.
Choose full, rich powdery and white cross section without broken fragments when purchasing them.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Ginkgo nuts 白果 (bai guo)
Ginseng 人参 (ren sheng)
Hawthorn berry / Chinese Hawthorn 山楂 (shan za)
The berries are from the bright red fruits of a small tree belonging to the rose family and have a sour sweet taste. They are used in Chinese herbal and naturopathic medicine to aid digestive functions. The dried fruit is considered slightly warm in property, promoting the energy flow and removing stagnation in Eastern herbology. Women in pregnancy should avoid it.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Indian bread / Poria 茯苓 (fu ling)
Lady Bell Root or Adenophora Root 沙參 (sha shen)
Adenophora root is the dried root of a small perennial plant called Adenophora Triphylla, commonly known as Lady Bell. Once harvested, adenophora roots are striped of its outer layer of skin and sun dried for medicinal use as an herb.
Red dates or Jujube 红枣 (hong zao)
Siberian Solomon's Seal (huang jing) 黃精
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| Dried Chinese Yam |
To use: rinse the fresh yam and peel, or rinse the dried pre-sliced yam before cooking. It takes 1 to 2 hours to cook the dried yam but only 20 minutes to cook the fresh one.
Codonopsis root 党参 (dang shen)
Cordyceps 东虫夏草 (dong chong xia cao)
Dried Fleeceflower root / fo-ti 何首乌 (he shou wu)
To use: rinse before cooking.
Dried lily bulbs 百合 (bai he)
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| Dried Lily Bulbs |
Lily Bulb is a starchy root vegetable from the Lilium flowering plant family. The fresh produce is used commonly in stir-fry dishes or soups. When dried it is used as a herbal remedy in Chinese medicine.
Fresh lily bulb has a hint of sweetness and a crispy texture. It is considered to have sweet and cooling properties and is nourishing for the lungs, heart meridians. It is used to relieve coughs, dry throats, reduce the heat and irritation in body, calm the nerves, help sleeping and moisten the lungs.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Dried tangerine peel 陈皮 (chen pi)
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| Dried Orange Peel |
It is the sun-dried peel of the orange or tangerine citrus fruit. It is prized for their distinct bitter yet refreshing and fragrant taste. When dried, the orange peel becomes brittle, dark brown on the skin side and yellowish brown on the pithy side. It is often used in Chinese soups, stews, desserts, marinades and tea. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is known for a warming property and anti-virus, anti-bacteria effect and is often used to improve blood circulation. It can help in digestion and heal wet coughs caused by excessive phlegm accumulated in the lungs.
In China, the orange peels are sometimes pre-soaked in snake bile before sun-dried to enhance its warming and nourishing power for medical purpose. This type of orange peel will be much darker in color and also more bitter.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Euryale seeds / fox nuts / gorgon fruit / semen euryale 芡实 (qian shi)
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| Qian Shi |
Choose full, rich powdery and white cross section without broken fragments when purchasing them.
To use: rinse before cooking.
Ginkgo nuts 白果 (bai guo)
Ginseng 人参 (ren sheng)
Hawthorn berry / Chinese Hawthorn 山楂 (shan za)
The berries are from the bright red fruits of a small tree belonging to the rose family and have a sour sweet taste. They are used in Chinese herbal and naturopathic medicine to aid digestive functions. The dried fruit is considered slightly warm in property, promoting the energy flow and removing stagnation in Eastern herbology. Women in pregnancy should avoid it.
To use: rinse before cooking.
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| Lady Bell Root |
Lady Bell Root or Adenophora Root 沙參 (sha shen)
Adenophora root is the dried root of a small perennial plant called Adenophora Triphylla, commonly known as Lady Bell. Once harvested, adenophora roots are striped of its outer layer of skin and sun dried for medicinal use as an herb.
Adenophora roots are almost flavorless, with only a mild sweetness and a slight bitterness to them. It is used in Asian soups to ease dry coughs, and to moisten the lung and throat.
In traditional Chinese medicine, this herb is known to have a cooling property that nourishes the yin energy to reduce heat and expel yellow sticky phlegm from the lungs. It is also known to balance the stomach, enhance energy (qi), and promote proper hydration in the body.
To use: soak the roots in cold water for 2 to 5 minutes, then rinse and drain.
Lotus Seeds 蓮子 (Lian Zi)
Luo Han Guo 羅漢果
It is a round dried fruit of a vine plant that grows in southern Chinese provinces. It is very sweet and has been used in China as a low calorie sweetener for diabetes and obesity, as its sugar is almost 300 times sweeter than regular sugar. Luo han guo is also used in Chinese medicine, herbal teas, and soups to treat chronic bronchitis and coughs. This fruit is has been classified as generally safe by the USDA.
Lotus Seeds 蓮子 (Lian Zi)
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| Dried White Lotus Seeds |
Two types of seed is produced depending on how mature the plant is when the lotus seed is harvested. The “brown peel” type is produced from mature and ripe lotus seed heads. These seeds have a brown peel because their outer brown membrane has grown to attach to the seed. The other type, “white lotus seed“, is produced from the young and green seed head that hasn't fully mature yet.
Inside the seed (either type), there is a green embryo that is quite bitter; it is usually removed before the seed is provided as a food product. The embryo (lianzixin; heart of the lotus seed), is classified as bitter and cold and benefiting the heart; it dispels pathogenic heat (清熱) from the heart to treat fidgets and spontaneous bleeding due to heat. The bitter components are isoquinoline alkaloids with sedative and antispasmodic effects. The alkaloids dilate blood vessels and thereby reduce blood pressure. Small amounts of the alkaloids are found in the seeds with embryo removed, and these may contribute an antispasmodic action for the intestines, helping to alleviate diarrhea.
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| Dried Brown Lotus Seeds |
Although oxidation would turn overstored lotus seeds to a yellow brown color, avoid seeds that are brightly white as they are probably bleached by the manufacturer with hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydroxide, or other toxic chemicals.
Since it is known to be gentle, mild while nutritious, restorative, and heat-dispelling, it is used extensively in tradition Chinese medicine to calm the nerves, relieve the thirst or overheat, enhance the spleen and the stomach function. It is also often used in Asian cuisine for soups, congee, desserts, or pastries. In Asian pastry making, the seed is often grounded into a paste before being filled inside a moon cake or other pastry goods.
To use: For dried white lotus seeds, rinse before cooking. For dried brown lotus seeds, rinse and soak for 2-3 hours before cooking as they have a tougher outer layer and a denser center.
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| Luo Han Guo |
Luo Han Guo 羅漢果
It is a round dried fruit of a vine plant that grows in southern Chinese provinces. It is very sweet and has been used in China as a low calorie sweetener for diabetes and obesity, as its sugar is almost 300 times sweeter than regular sugar. Luo han guo is also used in Chinese medicine, herbal teas, and soups to treat chronic bronchitis and coughs. This fruit is has been classified as generally safe by the USDA.
Red dates or Jujube 红枣 (hong zao)
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| Jujube, Red Dates |
Red dates are an fruit with a hard pit inside and grows from a deciduous tree shrub, that can be eaten fresh as a fruit, or in candied dried form as a snack. It is used in many Chinese dishes, soups, tea and even used to make ju
ice, vinegar, and wine.
In Chinese medicine, red dates are warm in nature and can calm the nerves. They nourish the spleen, strengthen the Qi (vital energy), and promote blood cell generation. Seedless dried red dates are less warm in nature compared to whole dates with seeds. Hence, in Chinese medicine, the seedless form is better used for those who have too much Yang (heat) energy in the body.
To use: Rinse red dates in cool water. Soak the dried dates for 5 – 10 minutes before using.
Siberian Solomon's Seal (huang jing) 黃精
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| Huang Jing |
It is the dried rhizome of the flowering Polygonatum Sibiricum plant native to Eastern Asia. Siberian Solomon’s Seal has a bland sweet taste and a deep brown color that will darken the liquid to the like of soy sauce when cooked in soups or tea.
Solomon's Seal Rhizome, Polygonatum Root 玉竹 (yu zhu)
Yu Zhu is the dried edible rhizome of a Solomon's Seal Flowering plant that belongs to the lily family. It is harvested in autumn, sun dried and sliced for use.
Yu Zhu has a mild sweet tone and is used in Korea for tisane (herbal tea) called Dungulle. It is used in Chinese herbal soups to relieve dry throat or dry coughs to enhance the lung function. In traditional Chinese medicine, yu zhu is considered mildly cooling and can help nourish the yin energy and dryness in the lung and stomach. It is common used with lady bell root for synergistic benefits and enhancement.
To use: rinse before cooking.
In western herbalism, the plant species typically used is polygonatum bifiorum. In Asian medicine, the preferred species are polygonatum sibiricum (huang jing) and polygonatum odoratum. In fact, the rhizome of polygonatum odoratum is another common Chinese herb called Yu Zu (玉竹) listed below.
To use: rinse but do not soak in water as the water will leach beneficial substance out.
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| Yu Zhu |
Yu Zhu is the dried edible rhizome of a Solomon's Seal Flowering plant that belongs to the lily family. It is harvested in autumn, sun dried and sliced for use.
Yu Zhu has a mild sweet tone and is used in Korea for tisane (herbal tea) called Dungulle. It is used in Chinese herbal soups to relieve dry throat or dry coughs to enhance the lung function. In traditional Chinese medicine, yu zhu is considered mildly cooling and can help nourish the yin energy and dryness in the lung and stomach. It is common used with lady bell root for synergistic benefits and enhancement.
To use: rinse before cooking.
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