百子櫃THE HUNDRED DRAWERS
Selfheal / prunella spike
夏枯草
soothes the livercools internal firebrightens the eyesclears heat清肝瀉火散結消腫肝火盛之目赤頭痛眩暈適用
The dried fruiting spikes of selfheal, a small mint-family meadow herb, sold as brownish bristly spikes. Herbaceous and lightly bitter, it needs a good 45 minutes' boiling to draw its flavour and is the base of classic cooling drinks rather than rich soups.
TCM properties
Nature · cold Flavour · pungent、bitter Meridians · liver、gallbladder
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy it is a summer herb for cooling the liver, traditionally brewed with black beans or monk fruit to clear liver fire, brighten the eyes and disperse swelling and knots.
Cautions: read first
- Safety criticalCold in nature and hard on the stomach. Take care if your spleen and stomach are weak, if you are qi deficient, or if you run cold.
- Pregnant women should take care
- Not to be drunk continuously over a long stretch
Preparation
Soak and rinse the dried spikes. They need a longer boil, 45 minutes or more, before the flavour comes out.
Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source
Queshan, Henan and the provinces along the Yangtze
Availability in Australia
Herbal shops / specialists