老火湯LO FO TONG

百子櫃

百子櫃THE HUNDRED DRAWERS

Black sesame

黑芝麻
潤腸養血烏髮

Small black seeds that only give up their flavour once toasted. Ground, they become 芝麻糊; stirred into honey water they make the simplest of the bowel-moistening drinks, which is the commonest use after a birth.

TCM properties

Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet Meridians · liver、kidney、large intestine

Traditional food therapy

In food therapy black sesame moistens the bowel, nourishes the blood and is said to darken the hair. Constipation being common after a birth, it is the first of these that gets mentioned.

Cautions: read first

  • Sesame is a mandatory-declaration allergen in Australia.
  • It is oily; use less if the stomach is unsettled.

Preparation

Toast in a dry wok until the seeds jump, then grind or steep whole.

Origin

The sesame-growing provinces of northern and central China. Whole and ground at Australian Asian grocers, and in the supermarket health aisle

Availability in Australia

Common at Asian grocers

Pairs well with