Many people believe that the longer the cooking time for Chinese herbal medicine, the better. However, this not only destroys the original medicinal properties, but also causes varying degrees of harm to the body. So what are the precautions when cooking Chinese herbal medicine?
Misconceptions about cooking Chinese herbal medicine
Some people add more medicine in order to make the decoction more concentrated, which may lead to overdose and adverse reactions.
Others believe that the longer the cooking time, the higher the concentration.
Firstly, this can easily result in burnt decoction and even damage the pot.
Secondly, when the Chinese herbal decoction reaches a certain point, the concentration of active ingredients reaches a balance. At this point, further cooking will not dissolve more active ingredients, but will continuously dissolve non-active ingredients such as resin, gum, and pigments. Although it may seem more "concentrated," it does not increase the efficacy of the medicine. On the contrary, it can intensify the bitterness and affect the taste, causing nausea and vomiting in some people.
Lastly, cooking for too long can destroy the already extracted medicinal components, affecting the efficacy of the medicine.
How to properly cook Chinese herbal medicine
1. Soak the herbs in water before cooking
Soak the herbs in cold water for 50-60 minutes. For herbs with sparse and soft texture such as flowers, leaves, and grass, soak for about 50 minutes. For herbs with harder texture such as roots, stems, seeds, and bark, soak for about 60 minutes. Sufficient soaking allows the active ingredients in the herbs to quickly dissolve into the water.
2. Use a clay pot for cooking
Clay pots have slower heat conduction, even heat distribution, and better heat preservation.
Do not use metal utensils, as they can easily boil the water dry and may react chemically with the components in the herbs, producing toxins that can harm the body.
3. Add an appropriate amount of water
The amount of water should exceed the herbs by about 3-5 centimeters. This results in a decoction of about 200 milliliters, which is optimal for the efficacy of the medicine. Adding too much or too little water will affect the efficacy.
4. Control the heat
Before the decoction boils, use high heat. After boiling, switch to low heat to maintain a gentle simmer, allowing the maximum dissolution of active ingredients into the water and facilitating the effectiveness of the medicine.
5. Cooking time and frequency
The herbs should be cooked twice. The first cooking is called "head decoction," which extracts about 45% of the medicinal properties. The second cooking is called "second decoction," which extracts about 35% of the medicinal properties. The two decoctions should be mixed together and taken twice a day for optimal efficacy.
Fire intensity and cooking time for Chinese herbal medicine
In general, the first half of the cooking time for Chinese herbal medicine can be done with high heat, and after boiling, switch to low heat for a slow simmer to maintain the boiling state of the herbs.
The first decoction should be boiled for half an hour after reaching boiling point, and the second decoction can be slightly extended by 5-10 minutes.
However, different types of Chinese herbal medicine have different requirements for fire intensity and cooking time. For example, diaphoretic herbs and aromatic herbs only need to be boiled with high heat and then simmered for 10 minutes. On the other hand, shell-like medicines and tonics require a long simmer with low heat.
