百子櫃THE HUNDRED DRAWERS
Sichuan lovage rhizome
川芎
活血行氣祛風止痛血虛頭痛常用
The knobbly rhizome of Sichuan lovage, sold as lobed cross-cut slices with an intense camphor-spice fragrance. A slice or two perfumes the whole pot, so it is used sparingly, classically alongside dang gui in blood-tonic soups and in fish-head soup.
TCM properties
Nature · warming Flavour · pungent Meridians · liver、gallbladder、pericardium
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy it is used in small measure to move the blood and qi and dispel wind, traditionally one of the trio simmered into fish-head soup and a companion to dang gui.
Cautions: read first
- Safety criticalTake care if your periods are heavy, and take care if you are pregnant
- Take care with yin deficiency and rising fire, and with bleeding disorders
- Keep the amount small
- If you take anticoagulants (blood thinners), be aware of the bleeding risk
Preparation
Soak and rinse the sliced form. The smell is strong, so a little is plenty.
Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source
Dujiangyan, Sichuan (Guanxian chuanxiong)
Availability in Australia
Herbal shops / specialists
