Notoginseng
The dense, extremely hard root of Panax notoginseng, sold as greyish knobs that are crushed or sliced before use; the steamed 'cooked' form is the one usually put in soup. It gives double-boiled chicken tongs a distinct bitter ginseng-family note and a dark, serious broth.
TCM properties
Nature · warming Flavour · sweet、bitter Meridians · liver、stomach
Traditional food therapy
In folk tradition it is the blood-mover of middle age and the postpartum month, the steamed root double-boiled with chicken to dispel stasis while nourishing; the saying goes it stops bleeding without leaving stasis.
Cautions: read first
- Safety criticalNot for pregnant women, since it moves the blood and can stir the fetus
- Use with care during your period
- If you take blood thinners or anticoagulants, ask first, as it raises the bleeding risk
- Not for people who are blood deficient without stasis
- Raw 田七 moves the blood fiercely, so soups mostly use the gentler cooked 熟田七
Preparation
Crush it or slice it. Cooked 熟田七, which is steamed, is the form that usually goes into soup.
Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source
Wenshan, Yunnan (the name comes from Tianzhou in Guangxi, the historic trading hub). not retailed by AU domestic shops; marketplace powders and the practitioner channel only
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
