Tendrilleaf fritillary bulb

The small ivory bulb of Fritillaria cirrhosa, pea-sized and closed like a tiny bud, sold whole or ground to powder. Bitter-sweet in taste, it is usually crushed and double-boiled with snow pear or used in dun tong rather than long-boiled, adding a clean, faintly bitter medicinal note.

TCM properties

Nature · cooling　Flavour · bitter、sweet　Meridians · lung、heart

Traditional food therapy

Cantonese food therapy reserves it for heat-type dryness, traditionally crushed and steamed with snow pear to clear heat, moisten the lungs and transform thick phlegm.

Cautions — read first

• [SAFETY CRITICAL] Only for a hot or dry cough. With a cold cough (thin watery white phlegm, feeling chilled) it makes the illness worse.
• Traditionally held to clash with aconite-type herbs (烏頭類), so they are not used together
• Take care if your spleen and stomach run cold and weak

Preparation

Crush it or grind it to powder and add it late, or double-boil it (隔水燉, the covered jar sits in a water bath), which draws out more of its strength.

Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source

四川（松潘、甘孜等高原產區） — AU herbal shops sell true Sichuan chuan bei alongside much cheaper Zhejiang zhe bei, a different species

Availability in Australia

Herbal shops / specialists · A$20–20 / 100g
Wellsoon Fritillaria cirrhosa 川贝 300g $59.99; cheaper Zhejiang 浙贝 (different species) 100g $14.99 also observed

Pairs well with