Hairy fig root
The root of Ficus hirta, a wild fig shrub of the Lingnan hills, sold as dried sand-coloured root strips and shreds. It stands up to hours of boiling and releases a distinctive coconut-milk aroma that gives the soup a rounded, faintly sweet body; the root itself stays woody and is not eaten.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet Meridians · spleen、lung、liver
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy it is prized as 'southern astragalus', used to strengthen the spleen, moisten the lungs and ease damp without heatiness. Traditionally paired with tu fu ling or millettia root in damp-season pots to relax the sinews and move qi.
Cautions: read first
- Do not use it together with white radish, as that weakens the effect
- Pregnant women should check with a Chinese medicine practitioner before drinking it
- The spent root left in the pot is coarse and fibrous, so do not eat it
Preparation
Soak and wash the dried root fibres to get the grit out. It stands up to long boiling and gives off a coconut scent.
Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source
Guangdong (the Lingnan hill country, Heyuan and similar areas). AU supply is a herbal-shop line (bulk packs), not a mainstream grocer item
Availability in Australia
Herbal shops / specialists
