Spica Prunellae Healing Drink

by | May 10, 2010 | Vegetarian | 3 comments

Soup Name: Spica Prunellae Healing Drink

Traditional Chinese Name: 夏枯草涼茶 (xià kūcǎo liáng chá)

Introduction:
An extremely cooling drink that is ideal in the hot summer, for cooling the body, clearing heatiness and helping conditions such as acne, eye infections, and cold sores.  It can be served cold or hot (although tastes much better cold in my opinion) and is very refreshing.  Although slightly bitter in taste, adding rock sugar to it makes it quite delicious.  It’s definitely an acquired taste to enjoy, but the Chinese love it and it’s pretty commonplace.  I usually keep a jug of this in my fridge!

What Ingredients are required?

40g of yellow beans
50g of dried spica prunellae
50g of dried chrysanthemum flower
rock sugar (to taste)
2-3 L of water

How do I prepare it?

  1. Boil water
  2. Rinse ingredients in warm water (except rock sugar)
  3. When water boils, add all ingredients together
  4. Boil for an hour on medium heat
  5. Strain ingredients from liquid
  6. Add rock sugar and let dissolve
  7. Cool in fridge or with ice (optional)
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Any benefits?

  • Excellent soup for relieving heatiness
  • Helps relieve symptoms of sunstroke and heatstroke

Any precautions?

  • People with sensitive stomachs (otherwise known as cold stomachs) should avoid overly cooling herbs
  • Pregnant woman in their first trimester take caution as cooling soups can cause contractions

Spica Prunellae

by | May 6, 2010 | Uncategorized | 1 comment

Ingredient Name: Spica prunellae, prunella spike, prunellae spike, fruit spike, self heal fruit spike

Traditional Chinese Name: 夏枯草 (xià kūcǎo)

What is this?

  • The sun-dried and withered spikes of a perennial herb called Prunella Vulgaris plant (purple in color when bloomed)
  • Cultivated and grown mainly in China
  • Extremely common in heat-reducing drinks

How do I prepare it?

  • Rinse in warm water
  • Add directly to soups or drinks
  • For drinks, use a strainer to separate as the plant sometimes disintegrates into little pieces

Where can I buy this?

  • Available in wet marts in Hong Kong
  • Available in herbalist shops
  • Often sold in packages with other ingredients (for ease of boiling)

What is the cost?

  • Very affordable
  • 50 g cost around $5 HKD (large bunch)

Any benefits?

  • Helps lower blood pressure
  • It is a cooling food and assists in reducing heatiness and symptoms associated with heatiness
  • Can aid in phlegm reduction and reduces swelling

Additional Information:

  • Extremely cooling ingredient so menstruating and pregnant women (earlier than 3 months) take caution

References: