Introduction
What is better than learning about something using a story? The Best Thing ( 爱你 ) introduces the herbs used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the romantic way.
TCM practitioners use a variety of methods including acupuncture, herbal medicines, acupressure, breathing techniques, and tai chi to help people improve their overall well-being. In this article I will just focus on herbal medicine as it’s related to drama. It also does a good job explaining to the audience about the herbal medicine through the characters.
Chinese herbal medicines are mainly plant-based, but some preparations include minerals or animal products. They can be packaged as powders, pastes, lotions, or tablets, depending on the herb and its intended use. Different herbs have different properties and can balance particular parts of the body. Prescribing a particular herb or concoction of herbs means the practitioner’s diagnosis has to take into account the state of the patient’s Yin and Yang, and the elements that govern the affected organs.
This article doesn’t intend to teach about Chinese herbal medicines in TCM and how to use the herbs. I only list the herbs based on the sequence of the image’s appearance. If you’re interested in using Chinese herbal medicines for your general well-being or to cure a certain illness, please consult a licensed TCM practitioner. Please note that you should never self-prescribe TCM ingredients. One TCM ingredient is almost never eaten on its own but as part of a formula containing several ingredients that act together.
Note: The featured image is from the final episode, where Xi Fan proposes to Su Ye, and Su Ye gives her a ring tied to a honeysuckle flower vine. Honeysuckle’s clinging nature resembles a lover’s embrace, symbolizing love and affection. The sweet, honey-like fragrance of honeysuckle is often linked to feelings of joy and happiness. Honeysuckle is used in TCM see Part 3.28 in the Table of Contents.
TCM Terminology
Some TCM terms may be confusing when you hear what is said in the conversation. Below are some simple explanations.
Qi and Yin and Yang in TCM
Two concepts that are unique and fundamental to TCM are Qi (usually translated as “vital energy”) and yin and yang (the harmony of all the opposite elements and forces that make up existence).
Qi
Qi is the fundamental energy that sustains life, believed to flow through the body along channels called meridians. A balanced and free-flowing Qi is essential for good health, while imbalances or blockages can lead to illness.
Yin and Yang
Yin and Yang represent opposing but interconnected forces, such as dark and light, cold and hot, passive and active. Maintaining a balance between Yin and Yang is crucial for overall health. Yin is associated with the material basis of the body, like blood and body fluids, while Yang is associated with functional activities, like Qi and body heat. Yin and Yang can transform into each other, and their interaction generates Qi.
The Six Qi
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the “Six Qi” refers to six external climatic influences: wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire, which are believed to affect the body’s health and can lead to imbalances.
The Interior and Exterior in TCM
In TCM, Interior and Exterior refer to the location of the disorder or pattern of disharmony rather than its cause.
Exterior
Exterior refers to the location between the muscles and the surface of the skin. This is the area where “Wei Qi” or “Defensive Qi” reside. Wei Qi is the first level of defense against an external pathogenic factor. Exterior conditions affect the skin, muscles, sinews, and channels (meridians).
Interior
Interior conditions are disharmony that is lodged in an affected organ. Any condition that cannot be classified as Exterior might be considered an Interior condition. However, the most important aspect in determining an Interior condition is that the disharmony affects one of the twelve organs (in TCM are called meridians) as listed below.
Note: The pericardium is a sac that encloses the heart in Western medicine. However, the Pericardium is known as the protector of the Heart in TCM, and it is related to emotional matters of the heart. The San Jiao is not directly related to an organ system in Western medicine. One translation of san jiao is “three burners.” These burners are the chest, abdomen, and lower abdomen, and all three are responsible for regulating the environment within the body including temperature and fluid distribution. (Source: Transformational Acupuncture).
The Five Element Theory
The five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. This theory has been used in TCM diagnosis since a long time ago. Each element is associated with different organ networks, colors, emotions, tastes, and sensory organs, this provides a multi-dimensional view of your internal organs and helps TCM practitioners to recognize where the imbalances lie.
Tastes in Medicinal Herbs
In TCM, herbs are classified by their taste, with the five flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and pungent) each having specific therapeutic actions and corresponding to the five elements and organs.
- Sour: Astringes, stops discharges (like diarrhea), and is associated with the liver and gallbladder (wood element).
- Bitter: Drains, clears heat and is associated with the heart and small intestine (fire element).
- Sweet: Tonifies, harmonizes, and moistens, associated with the spleen and stomach (earth element).
- Pungent/Acrid: Releases the exterior, moves stagnation, and is associated with the lungs and large intestine (metal element).
- Salty: Softens hardness, dissolves stagnation, and is associated with the kidneys and bladder (water element)
Nature in Medicinal Herbs
In Chinese herbal medicine, herbs are categorized by their “nature” (xing), which is a broader concept than simply temperature, encompassing the herb’s energetic properties and how they interact with the body, including the “four natures”: hot, warm, cool, and cold. There is also a neutral nature, which is not considered to be either hot or cold.
Medicinal Chinese Herbs in This Drama
Chinese Basil Leaves ( 苏叶 Su Ye)
“Tastes pungent, is warm in nature, relieves the exterior and dispels the cold, promotes the flow of qi and gastic motility.”
The image at the beginning of Episode 1 for Su Ye is not the right one, as it only shows the spring bloom. Below is the real image of the Chinese basil leaves. Chinese basil is also known as shiso or purple perilla. It can be used for cooking.
Apple ( 苹果 Ping Guo)
“Sweet in taste, sour, and cool in nature. It benefits the stomach, generates body fluid, relieve irritations, and helps with sobering up.”
As a proverb goes, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
Chinese Licorice ( 甘草 Gan Cao)
“Licorice root, with its sweet flavor and neutral nature, is renown for tonifying the spleen, boosting qi, clearing heat and toxin, dispelling phlegm, relieving cough, alleviating acute pain, and harmonizing the effects of other medicinal agents.”
Besides using in TCM, it’s also used in Chinese dishes. Chinese licorice root is also a popular ingredient in tea because of its sweetness and health benefits.
Mint ( 薄荷 Bo He)
“Pungent, cool, dispel wind-heat, clears head and eyes, soothes throat, promotes rashes, and regulates liver qi.”
Plant mint in your garden. Its green color and its aroma is refreshing. Mint also makes a delicious and healthy addition to many foods and beverages. You really can’t go wrong with adding some mint to your diet.
Chinese Yam ( 淮山 Huai Shan)
“It has a sweet taste and mild nature , strengthens the spleen and stomach, generates fluids, and benefits the lungs.”
Chinese yam is known as “fairy food”, is a symbol of longevity. Chinese yam can be eaten raw, grated, and used in dishes like salads, or sliced and eaten with soy sauce. It can also be cooked in soups, stews, stir-fries, and other dishes.
Chinese Mugwort Leaves ( 艾叶 Ai Ye)
“Artemisia argyi. Bitter, pungent, and warm. It warms the meridians, stops bleeding, and relieves pain.”
In this drama, the mugwort leaves are used as moxibustion. Moxibustion is a therapy that uses the heat generated by burning moxa (dried mugwort leaves) to stimulate specific points on the body. The therapy can be direct or indirect moxibustion. Direct Moxibustion: The moxa cone is placed directly on the skin at a designated acupuncture point and allowed to burn until the skin turns red. Indirect Moxibustion: The burning moxa stick is held near the skin, or moxa is placed on an acupuncture needle, and the heat is transferred to the acupuncture point.
Osmanthus ( 桂花 Gui Hua)
“Osmanthus is sweet and sour in taste and warm in nature. It warms the middle, dispels cold, harmonizes the stomach, and regulates qi.”
Osmanthus, a flower with an apricot-like aroma, tastes subtly sweet and floral with hints of honey or honeysuckle and is used in teas, desserts, and other culinary applications.
Osmanthus cakes that you see in Chinese dramas.
Five-Flavor Fruit ( 五味子 Wu Wei Zi)
“Sour, sweet, and warm, with astringent property, great for qi boost, body fluid generation, kidney, and calming down.”
Five-flavor fruit or Schisandra earned this name because it contains all five fundamental tastes—bitter, pungent, salty, sour, and sweet. According to TCM theory, this unique composition supports the five vital organs: liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, and spleen.
Honey ( 蜂蜜 Feng Mi)
“Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, supports digestion, moistens dryness, relieves pain, helps with detoxication, and promotes wound healing when used externally.”
Agarwood ( 沉香 Chen Xiang)
“Pungent, bitter, mild. Helps breathe, reduces pain, stops vomiting, and relieves coughs.”
Agarwood in China is endangered due to overexploitation and habitat loss. Agarwood is in high demand and is used in incense, perfumes, and TCM. As you see in the drama, they planted agarwood trees. To address the issue, China explores sustainable agarwood production through plantations and artificial induction of agarwood production in trees.
Dragon Bones ( 生龍骨 Sheng Long Gu)
“Dragon bones are astringent and sweet in taste and neutral in nature. They calm the mind, pacify the liver, subdue yang, and stabilize bodily functions.”
In TCM, “dragon bones” refer to fossils, specifically animal bones, believed to have medicinal properties. They are also a significant source of calcium
Cassia Seeds ( 決明子 Jue Ming Zi)
“Sweet, bitter, salty in taste. Slightly cold in nature. Belongs to the liver and large intestines meridians. Clears heat and improves visions.”
Cassiae Semen, or Cassia seeds, belonging to the family Leguminosae, is derived from the dry mature seeds of Cassia obtusifolia L. or Cassia tora L. Cassia seeds are commonly consumed as a tea, either roasted or boiled.
Ginger ( 生姜 Sheng Jiang)
“Pungent, slightly warm, relieves exterior cold, warms the stomach to stop vomiting, dissolves phlegm to ease coughing, and counteracts fish and crab toxins.”
Citrus Peel ( 陳皮 Chen Pi)
“Bitter, spicy, and warm in nature. It egulates qi, strengthens the spleen, reduces dampness, and transforms phlegm.”
Red Beans ( 紅豆 Hong Dou)
“Red beans are sweet and sour in taste and neutral in nature. They promote urination, reduce swelling, clear toxins, and expel pus. “
I cannot find what kind of dish in the above image taken from the drama. In Chinese cuisine, red beans are commonly sweetened before eating. In particular, it is often boiled with sugar, producing red bean paste, a very common ingredient in all of these cuisines. Red bean paste is used in many Chinese dishes, such as tangyuan, zongzi, mooncakes, baozi, and red bean ice.
But the simplest yet healthiest dish using red beans is the red bean soup.
Cinnabar ( 朱砂 Zhu Sha)
“Taste: sweet. Nature: Slightly cold, toxic. Meridian entry: Heart. Functions: clears the heart, calms fright, also detoxifies.”
Cinnabar is a bright red to reddish-brown mineral, also known as vermilion, that is the main ore of mercury (HgS), historically used as a pigment and in traditional medicines, but is now known to be toxic, especially with long-term or high-dose use.
Wearing or carrying a Cinnabar bracelet in Buddhist belief boosts vitality, encourages a clear mind, and enhances spiritual awareness.
Capillary Wormwood ( 茵陳 Yin Chen)
“Artemisia capillaris has a bitter and pungent taste with slightly cold nature. In enter the spleen, stomach, liver, and gallbladder meridians. Its actions include clearing damp-heat, promoting bile flow, and reducing jaundice.”
Below is what the plant looks like in nature.
Calamus ( 菖蒲 Chang Pu)
“Acorus Calamus: pungent and bitter in taste, warm in nature, opens the orifices, dispels phlegm, awakens the mind, enhances intelligence, resolves dampness, and stimulates the appetite. “
Acorus calamus (also called sweet flag, sway, or muskrat root, among many other common names) is a species of flowering plant with psychoactive chemicals. Although used in traditional medicine over centuries to treat digestive disorders and pain, it has no clinical evidence of safety or efficacy and may be toxic if ingested, and so has been commercially banned in the United States.
Habitats include edges of small lakes, ponds and rivers, marshes, swamps, and other wetlands
Magnolia Flower ( 辛夷 Xin Yi)
“Spicy in taste and warm in nature. They are associated with the lungs and stomach meridians and help treat colds and nasal congestion.”
Although what you see in the drama is the beautiful flowers given by Su Ye to Xi Fan, the ones used in TCM are dried magnolia buds.
Chinese Peony ( 芍药 Shao Yao)
“Paeonia lactiflora. Bitter, sour, dispels cold, nourishes blood and regulates menstruation, restrains yin and stops sweating, softens the liver and alleviates pain, pacifies the liver yang.”
The root and, less commonly, the flower and seed are used to make medicine. Peony in TCM is sometimes called red peony (赤芍 chi shao) and white peony (白芍 bai shao). This does not refer to the color of the flowers, which are pink, red, purple, or white, but to the color of the processed root. The red peony root is unpeeled, while the white peony root is peeled
Tulips ( 郁金香 Yu Jing Xiang)
“Bitter and pungent in taste, neutral in nature, enters the lung meridian, transform dampness and dispells foulness.”
The specific part of the tulip used in TCM is the flower bud, not the entire plant.
Kudzu Flower ( 葛花 Ge Hua)
“Sweet in taste and cold in nature. It’s good for your spleen and stomach, relieving hangovers and bleeding.”
Kudzu flowers are known for their pleasant, grape-like fragrance. They are edible and can be used in salads, jellies, or beverages.
Fox Nuts ( 芡實 Qian Shi)
“Sweet and astringent in taste and neutral in nature. They’re associated with the spleen and kidney meridians. They strengthen the kidney, secure essence, eliminate dampness, and relieve vaginal discharge.”
Fox nuts, also known as makhana or lotus seeds, have a mild, slightly sweet, and neutral flavor that’s often described as similar to popcorn but with a crunchier, airier texture. What do they taste like? Well, not much at all. But their rise in popularity beyond their native growing regions seems to have stemmed from the method of preparation that essentially ‘pops’ them under heat, much like popcorn without the gritty parts. But they can also be used in soups, stir fry, trail mixes, and porridge, made into flour or roasted as a standalone snack. The starchy kernels can also be eaten raw.
Chinese Albizia ( 合欢 He Huan)
“Sweet in taste, neutral in nature, relieves depression, calms the mind, promotes blood circulation, and reduces swelling.”
The part of the plant used for TCM is the bark, not the flower shown in the drama.
Pinellia ( 半夏 Ban Xia)
“Pungent, damp in nature, toxic, dries dampness, transforms phlegms, redirects rebellious qi to stop vomiting, and dissolves stagnations and nodules.”
This plant is toxic in raw form and must be processed.
Poria ( 茯苓 Fu Ling)
“Sweet and bland in taste, neutral in nature, promotes urination and drains dampness, strengthens the spleen, and calms the mind.”
Poria cocos is a fungi. The medicinal part of the mushroom is the filaments under the cap. You can buy poria dried or in capsule form. You can steep mushrooms in boiling water. Some people even make porridges, soups, and rice cakes from reconstituted or powdered mushrooms, transforming the medicinal remedy into a culinary treat.
Angelica ( 當歸 Dang Gui)
“Sweet and spicy in taste and neutral in nature. It nourishes and activates blood, regulates menstrual cycles and alleviates pain.”
Angelica sinensis, commonly known as dong quai or female ginseng. The dried root is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb to enrich the blood, promote blood circulation, and treat blood deficiency patterns and menstrual disorders such as dysmenorrhea and irregular menstrual cycle. Some studies suggest that dong quai may help reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes, a common symptom of menopause
Angelica sinensis flowers, root, and dried root for TCM
Honeysuckle ( 金银花 Jin Yin Hua)
“Sweet in taste and cold in nature. Nourishes the lungs, heart, and stomach; reduces heat, and detoxifies body.”
Honeysuckle flowers are the part of the plant used for TCM. They may be used internally, drank as tea or externally used for wash/bath soak.
Conclusion
These are the 28 TCM ingredients mentioned in the drama. Their presentation in The Best Thing makes the drama unique and more attractive, unlike other romance dramas. We got to learn about TCM and its history and how it’s implemented in modern times.
