Correct Methods for Preparing Chinese Herbal Medicine
How to prepare Chinese herbal medicine? Many people often fall into a misconception when preparing Chinese herbal medicine: they believe that the longer the medicine is boiled, the better. However, some Chinese herbal medicines are not suitable for long boiling, as prolonged boiling can actually destroy their effectiveness. So, what is the correct way to prepare Chinese herbal medicine?
Correct Methods for Preparing Chinese Herbal Medicine Steps for Preparing Chinese Herbal Medicine
1. Boiling does not mean stronger
In daily life, many people believe that the stronger the herbal medicine is boiled, the better the effect. They think that the longer the boiling time, the more active ingredients are extracted. However, this is not true. Boiling Chinese herbal medicine is a process of continuously releasing and dissolving the active ingredients. When the concentration of active ingredients in the medicine and the liquid reaches a balance, the process stops. Continuous boiling will not further dissolve the active ingredients in the medicine, but instead, it will cause the evaporation and reduction of active ingredients in the liquid, and even lead to the destruction of active ingredients under high temperature for a long time, resulting in reduced efficacy. Therefore, boiling Chinese herbal medicine for a longer time is not better. Different prescriptions have different requirements for boiling time after reaching boiling point, so it is important to follow the doctor's instructions.
2. How to control the cooking time
Cooking Chinese herbal medicine requires attention to the cooking time and the intensity of heat. The control of heat depends on the nature of the medicine. For herbs that have a strong aroma and contain volatile oils as the main active ingredients, prolonged boiling can cause excessive evaporation and loss. These herbs are best cooked with high heat for a short time. The first boiling should be boiled for 15 minutes, and the second boiling should be boiled for 10 minutes.
For tonic herbs that have heavy and greasy properties, they require long boiling to extract their essence. They should be boiled with high heat at first and then simmered with low heat. After the first boiling, they should be simmered with low heat for 20-30 minutes, and after the second boiling, they should be simmered with low heat for 30-40 minutes. For herbs that require a long cooking time, they should be stirred 2-3 times during the process to prevent the herbs at the bottom from burning. Some people accidentally burn the Chinese herbal medicine and then add water to boil it again, which is inappropriate and may even be dangerous because the burnt medicine may undergo a qualitative change.
3. Correct steps for cooking Chinese herbal medicine
1. First boiling: Extend the cooking time by 10-15 minutes. This includes minerals and shell-like medicines that are not easily extracted, such as magnetite and oyster. For toxic medicines that require prolonged boiling to remove toxicity, such as Aconitum and Caulis Akebiae, they should be boiled first. For special treatment requirements, such as when Rhubarb is boiled for a long time to reduce its purgative effect, it should be boiled first.
2. Later addition: Reduce the cooking time. This includes medicines whose active ingredients are easily evaporated or destroyed by prolonged boiling, such as peppermint and cardamom. These medicines should be added later when the medicine is almost cooked and boiled for a few more minutes. Rhubarb and Senna leaves, when boiled for a long time, will slow down their purgative effect, so they should be added later or taken by soaking in hot water.
3. Enclosed cooking: Pollen, small seeds, and fine powder medicines should be enclosed in a bag while cooking, as they tend to float on the water surface and are not suitable for direct boiling, such as Cattail Pollen, Tangerine Seed, and Talcum Powder. Medicines with high starch and mucilage content should also be enclosed in a bag, as they tend to stick to the pot and become scorched, such as Plantago Seed. Medicines with hairy surfaces should also be enclosed in a bag, as they are difficult to filter out and can irritate the throat if mixed into the liquid, such as Flos Inulae.
4. Separate cooking: Some expensive medicines need to be cooked separately to prevent the active ingredients from being absorbed by other herbal medicines, such as Ginseng and Western Ginseng.
5. Dissolving: Some medicines, such as gum-based medicines, tend to adhere to other medicine residues and the bottom of the pot, which can lead to waste and scorching. Therefore, they should be dissolved separately and then taken with other herbal juices, such as Gelatin and Deer Antler Glue.
6. Dissolving with water: Some medicines dissolve instantly in water or are originally in liquid form, and should be taken by dissolving in the liquid of other herbal medicines or hot water, such as Mirabilite and Honey. Some medicines are expensive and their ingredients are difficult to dissolve in water or easily destroyed, so they should be ground into powder and taken by dissolving, such as Cattle Gallstone, Deer Antler, and Amber.
7. Cooking with herbal soup: such as burnt earth in the hearth
Whether Chinese herbal medicine is properly cooked directly affects the effectiveness of treatment. It is important to pay attention to the cooking time, heat intensity, and special cooking methods for certain medicines.
