"Can I still consume herbal medicine if I accidentally overcook it?" Many patients have this doubt. First of all, it must be affirmed that overcooked herbal medicine cannot be consumed. It should be immediately discarded, the cooking vessel should be cleaned, and the medicine should be cooked with fresh water. Some patients are afraid of wasting the medicine, so they rinse the overcooked medicine with water and cook it again. This practice is also not recommended. Because the active ingredients in the overcooked herbal medicine have changed, the efficacy of the medicine will be reduced or lost, which will not achieve the desired therapeutic effect and may even produce harmful substances and side effects. So how should herbal medicine be cooked? What should be paid attention to during the cooking process?
We all know that decoction is one of the most commonly used forms of traditional Chinese medicine. Its preparation has certain requirements for cooking utensils, water, heat, and cooking methods. Choosing the wrong cooking vessel, insufficient amount of water, excessive heat, prolonged cooking time, or improper cooking methods for certain medicines can result in the medicine being overcooked. Below are some tips on how to cook herbal medicine and some precautions to ensure that you can cook the medicine correctly and guarantee its efficacy.
Choose the right cooking vessel
It is best to use a clay pot or a ceramic pot for cooking herbal medicine. Stainless steel and glass vessels can also be used. Avoid using iron pots, copper pots, aluminum pots, lead, or harmful plastic products to prevent chemical reactions with the medicine, which can affect the efficacy. It is best to choose a sand pot that heats evenly to prevent the bottom of the pot from becoming too hot and causing heavy herbal medicine to burn or char. At the same time, ensure that the bottom of the pot is clean. Before cooking the medicine, thoroughly remove any residue and grease from the bottom of the pot.
Maintain the right amount of water during cooking
First, soak the herbal medicine in cold water. The amount of water should be 3-5 centimeters above the surface of the medicine. The soaking time should be determined based on the nature of the herbs. For formulas mainly composed of leaves and stems, soaking for 30 minutes is sufficient. For formulas mainly composed of roots, rhizomes, seeds, fruits, minerals, fossils, and shells, soaking for 60 minutes is recommended. Generally, the soaking time should not be too long to avoid decomposition and deterioration of the medicine.
When it comes to soaking herbal medicine, many patients ask if the medicine needs to be rinsed and the soaked water should be discarded before cooking. Herbal medicine does not need to be washed. The herbs have already been cleaned before they are put on the market. Washing the herbs will cause the loss of water-soluble active ingredients and surface adjuvants. Washing the herbs before cooking will weaken or change the original efficacy of the decoction, affecting its therapeutic effect.
Generally, herbal medicine is decocted twice. The amount of water added for the second decoction is 1/3 to 1/2 of the first decoction. After boiling the soaked herbal medicine over high heat, switch to low heat and continue to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Filter out the hot decoction. Start the second decoction by adding enough cold water to cover the surface of the herbal residue in the cooking vessel. Boil the mixture over high heat and then simmer for another 15-20 minutes. Filter out the second decoction while it is still hot. Mix the two decoctions and divide them into two servings, each about 200 milliliters. Children should consume half the amount or follow the doctor's instructions.
Master the right heat intensity
Generally, herbs for releasing the exterior and clearing heat should be decocted over high heat for a short time. Boiling for 3-5 minutes after reaching a boil is sufficient. Herbs for tonifying and nourishing the body should be simmered over low heat for a longer time. Boiling for 30-60 minutes after reaching a boil is recommended.
Understand special decoction methods for herbal medicine
If there are herbal bags packaged in cloth, this is called bag decoction. Bag decoction mainly refers to herbs with strong stickiness, powdery texture, or hairy texture. These herbs should be packaged in cloth and decocted together with other herbs to prevent turbidity or throat irritation caused by the herbal liquid or the herbs sinking to the bottom of the pot and causing charring or scorching during heating. Examples of herbs requiring bag decoction include Liuyi San, Qingdai, Pu Huang, Cheqianzi, Xinyi, and Xuanfuhua.
In addition to bag decoction, common special decoction methods for herbal medicine include pre-decoction, posterior addition, separate decoction, dissolving, and decoction with subsequent administration.
Pre-decoction refers to the pre-boiling of certain minerals, shells, and hard-to-soluble herbs that should be crushed before decoction. Boil for 20-30 minutes before adding other herbs to fully extract the active ingredients. Examples of herbs that require pre-decoction include magnetite, daizheshi, shengtie luo, shengshigao, han shui shi, zi shiying, longgu, mulu, waluengzi, zhenzhumu, shi jueming, gui jia, and biejia. In addition, toxic herbs with strong side effects such as fuzi and wutou should be pre-decocted for 45-60 minutes before adding other herbs. Prolonged decoction can reduce toxicity and ensure safe use.
Posterior addition refers to the addition of herbs with aromatic odors after boiling other herbs for 5-10 minutes, as the prolonged decoction of these herbs can cause the loss of their active ingredients due to volatilization. Examples of herbs that require posterior addition include peppermint, xiangru, qinghao, muxiang, sharen, chenxiang, and baidoukou. In addition, some herbs, although not aromatic, can also lose their active ingredients through prolonged decoction, such as guteng, dahuang, and fanxieye.
Separate decoction refers to the separate decoction of valuable herbs to better extract their active ingredients. Examples of herbs that require separate decoction include ginseng, cordyceps, saffron, etc. Before separate decoction, these herbs should also be soaked, and the decoction can be consumed separately or mixed with other decoctions. The overall cooking time is usually 2-3 hours.
Dissolving mainly refers to the melting of certain gum-like medicines or highly soluble medicines to avoid sticking to the cooking pot or adhering to other herbs during decoction. These medicines can be heated and dissolved in water or yellow wine alone before being consumed by dissolving in the decoction. Examples of medicines that require dissolving include ejiao, lu jiao jiao, gui jia jiao, and biejia jiao.
Decoction with subsequent administration mainly applies to some valuable herbs that require a small dosage. To prevent loss, these herbs are often ground into fine powder and made into a powdered form for consumption by dissolving in warm water or in the decoction of other herbs. Examples of herbs that require decoction with subsequent administration include musk, niuhuang, sanqi powder, lingyang powder, and songhua powder.
In addition, when decocting herbal medicine, it is necessary to cover the pot to maintain the temperature of the decoction and stir or flip the herbs at appropriate times. By mastering these principles of decoction, you will be able to cook herbal medicine with ease.
