Methods Of Preparation Flashcards
(17 cards)
What is Dry Frying (chǎo)?
What does it enhance?
- Cooked in a dry wok until browned
- Enhances ability to tonify Spleen and Stomach
- Makes herbs easier to store.
What is STIR-FRYING (zhì)?
- Cooked in a wok with some sort of liquid medium
What does honey do to an herb?
- Increases and herb’s tonifying and moistening actions
What does ginger juice do to an herb?
- Reduces the tendency of cold herbs to upset the stomach
- Enhances an herb’s ability to warm the Stomach and stop vomiting;
- Reduces toxicity
What does vinegar do to an herb?
Increases an herb’s
- astringent
- analgesic (pain relief)
- blood-invigorating actions
What does wine do to an herb?
Increases an herb’s ability to:
- Unblock the channels
- Expel wind
- Alleviate pain
What does salt do to an herb?
- Directs actions to the Kidney
- Nourishes yin
- Reduces heat signs
What is CHARRING (tàn)?
What does it do?
- Herbs are charred until black
- Enhances ability to stop bleeding
What is CALCINING (duàn)?
What does it do?
- A substance (usually a mineral or shell) is heated until it turns red.
- Makes substance brittle and easier to break into a powder.
- In some cases, in enhances the substance’s astringent actions
What is ROASTING IN ASHES (wēi)?
What does it do?
- An herb is coated in paper, a paste, or mud and then roasted.
- The dried coating is cracked and discarded. -This process can draw out toxic oils from seeds and nuts
What is DECOCTION (tāng)?
- Literally “soup.”
- Raw herbs are boiled 30-60 minutes, strained, and the resultant liquid is drunk.
- Strongest effect, Easily customizable
- Aluminum utensils should not be used. Clay or porcelain cooking pots are preferred, but many believe that stainless steel is ok.
What are POWDERS (sǎn)?
What does the character (sǎn) also mean?
- Raw herbs are ground into a fine powder.
- Can be boiled for ten minutes and strained, or mixed with hot water and taken as a draft.
- More effective than pills, but less effective than decoction
- “散 sǎn” also means “to disperse” or “to scatter.”
- Traditionally, powders were used for excess conditions when the treatment principle was to drain or disperse.
- In modern usage, almost all raw herbal formulas are prepared as a decoction, even if they are named as a powder
What are PILLS(wán)/TABLETS(piàn)?
- Raw herbs are ground into a fine powder, mixed with a medium (usually honey or tea), and formed into pills or tablets.
- Pills can vary in size from mustard seeds to longan fruit.
- Pills are mild and slow in action.
- Usually recommended for long term use.
- Less effective, Cannot be modified
What is MEDICINAL WINE (jiǔ)?
- Raw herbs are steeped in strong alcohol for long periods of time (usually 3-6 months).
- The alcohol itself thought to be nourishing, invigorating, and channel-unblocking
- Small dosages can be taken internally on a regular basis (usually about 1 oz), or formulas can be made to apply externally
What are SYRUPS (gāo)?
What are the most appropriate for?
- Raw herbs are cooked in water and strained into a concentrated decoction,
- Then mixed with sugar or honey.
- Most appropriate for chronic diseases, cough, and sore throat.
What are PLASTERS (gāo)?
- For external use.
- Herbs are simmered slowly in oil (usually sesame oil) and strained.
- The oil is then mixed with beeswax.
- The resulting paste can be applied externally by itself, or spread over paper or cloth.
- These are usually used for dermatological conditions such as abscess, boils, or eczema; joint problems such as bi syndrome or chronic pain; or injury and trauma
What mediums are used when stir frying?
honey, ginger juice, vinegar, wine, salt
