Also Known As: Parsley
Chinese Name: 芫荽
Thermal Nature: Warm
Flavor: Pungent
Organ Meridian: Lung, spleen, liver
Properties: Expels coldness in body, relieves pain, helps with detoxification
Best Use For: Relieving cold-type flu, overeating and stomach bloating
Serving Per Day For One Person: 15 to 30g
Dietary Caution: People who have heat-type flu should avoid consuming coriander
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution
Chinese Name: 木耳菜
Thermal Nature: Cold
Flavor: Sweet, sour
Organ Meridian: Heart, liver, spleen, large intestine, small intestine
Properties: Relieves constipation, cools the body, clears dampness, cools the blood, helps with detoxification
Best Use For: Relieving constipation, improving blood circulation for bruises
Serving Per Day For One Person: 30 to 60g
Dietary Caution: Pregnant women and people with coldness in stomach and spleen should avoid consuming malabar spinach
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Blood stasis body constitution
Chinese Name: 茼蒿
Thermal Nature: Cooling
Flavor: Sweet, pungent
Organ Meridian: Heart, spleen, stomach
Properties: Harmonizes stomach and spleen, dissolves phlegm, calms the mind
Best Use For: Relieving stomach and spleen discomfort, relieving cough with phlegm, improving sleep quality
Serving Per Day For One Person: 60 to 90g
Dietary Caution: People with loose stools should avoid consuming crown daisy
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution
Chinese Name: 山慈菇
Thermal Nature: Cold (slight)
Flavor: Sweet, bitter (slight), pungent (slight)
Organ Meridian: Spleen, lung, liver, bladder
Properties: Promotes blood flow, disperses clots, helps with detoxification
Best Use For: Treating people with blood clots in the body, treating bites by poisonous snakes
Serving Per Day For One Person: 15 to 30g
Dietary Caution: Pregnant women should avoid consuming shan ci mushroom
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Blood stasis body constitution
Chinese Name: 莲藕
Thermal Nature: Cold
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Heart, liver, spleen, stomach
Properties: Cools the body and blood, disperses clots, stops bleeding
Best Use For: Treating heat-type illnesses, recommended for people with blood stasis body constitution
Dietary Caution: Do not cook lotus root using cast iron wok. As lotus root is cold in thermal nature, people with weak spleen should avoid consuming it.
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Blood stasis body constitution
Chinese Name: 胡萝卜
Thermal Nature: Neutral
Flavor: Sweet, pungent
Organ Meridian: Spleen, liver, lung
Properties: Strengthens spleen, nourishes liver and brightens eyes, relieves cough by dissolving phlegm
Best Use For: Treating weak spleen and poor appetite accompanied with poor overall energy, treating poor vision and long term coughing
Serving Per Day For One Person: 30 to 120g
Dietary Caution: Some people may observe that their skin becomes more yellowish after consuming carrots for some time. If this persists, stop eating carrots for 2 to 3 months and the symptoms will go away.
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Dampness and heat body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution
Also Known As: Daikon
Chinese Name: 萝卜
Thermal Nature: Cooling (when it’s raw), neutral (when it’s thoroughly cooked)
Flavor: Sweet, pungent
Organ Meridian: Spleen, stomach, lung, large intestine
Properties: Aids digestion, dissolves phlegm, stops bleeding, promotes urination
Best Use For: Relieving indigestion, overeating, constipation, cough with phlegm
Serving Per Day For One Person: 30 to 100g
Dietary Caution: People with weak spleen and stomach (loose stools) should avoid consuming raw radish
Special Note: There are myths claiming that radish clashes with all chinese medicine, but this is not true. Radish is not compatible only with chinese herbs that have energy-boosting effects such as ginseng.
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution, Phlegm and dampness body constitution
Chinese Name: 辣椒
Thermal Nature: Hot
Flavor: Pungent
Organ Meridian: Spleen, stomach
Properties: Warms the body, expels coldness
Best Use For: Treating coldness in spleen and stomach bloating
Serving Per Day For One Person: 1 to 3g
Dietary Caution: People with Yin deficiency body constitution should avoid consuming chili
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution
Chinese Name: 茄子
Thermal Nature: Cooling
Flavor: Sweet
Organ Meridian: Spleen, stomach, large intestine
Properties: Cools the body, promotes blood flow, reduces swelling
Best Use For: Treating blood in stools, relieving ulcers due to heatiness
Serving Per Day For One Person: 15 to 30g
Dietary Caution: People with Yang deficiency body constitution and Qi deficiency body constitution should avoid consuming eggplant
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution
Chinese Name: 番茄
Thermal Nature: Cold (Slight)
Flavor: Sweet, sour
Organ Meridian: Liver, spleen, stomach
Properties: Quenches thirst, strengthens spleen, aids digestion
Best Use For: Improving appetite, relieving thirst
Dietary Caution: People with weak stomach and spleen should avoid consuming tomatoes
Suitable For: Balanced body constitution