Home » Sunday » Now and Then
TCM Treasures - Mi meng flower 密蒙花
By Wing Tan |
March 31, 2013, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH its slight fragrance, mi meng - Buddleja officinalis, a relation of the more common Buddleja davidii "butterfly bush" - has been used to dispel inner heat since ancient times in China. It widely grows by water, in woodland and on hillsides in Shaanxi, Gansu, Yunnan, Hubei and Sichuan provinces.
It blossoms in February and March and the flower is dried for medicinal use.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the mi meng flower is a slightly "cold" herb with a sweet taste to remove body heat in the liver and gall bladder.
The flower, often boiled with water to make concoctions, is said to nourish the liver and clear slight corneal opacity.
In Yunnan Province during celebrations and festivals, young girls would venture into the hills to pick mi meng flowers. They soaked these in water to obtain yellow-colored water and use this to cook rice. The resulting fragrant golden rice was regarded as a treat for guests.
Because the yellow is the same color as the kasaya robe worn by a Buddhist monk, Yunnan people would make these golden rice balls during the Tomb-sweeping Festival, on Thursday this year, to commemorate their ancestors.
Prescriptions & Usage:
Mi meng flower tea
Prepare 3-9g mi meng flower. Boil in water.
Add rock sugar to sweeten. You can also put the flowers in green tea but too many will make it taste bitter.
Drink it anytime.
Benefits: Removes inner heat.
Mi meng flower rice
Soak mi meng flower in water and boil for five minutes at most, until the water turns yellow.
Cool the water and remove the petals. Prepare sticky rice - don't use ordinary rice as it can't absorb the color or fragrance.
Soak sticky rice in the yellow-dyed water for five to six hours.
Steam the soaked sticky rice.
Benefits: Helps improve eyesight.
It blossoms in February and March and the flower is dried for medicinal use.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the mi meng flower is a slightly "cold" herb with a sweet taste to remove body heat in the liver and gall bladder.
The flower, often boiled with water to make concoctions, is said to nourish the liver and clear slight corneal opacity.
In Yunnan Province during celebrations and festivals, young girls would venture into the hills to pick mi meng flowers. They soaked these in water to obtain yellow-colored water and use this to cook rice. The resulting fragrant golden rice was regarded as a treat for guests.
Because the yellow is the same color as the kasaya robe worn by a Buddhist monk, Yunnan people would make these golden rice balls during the Tomb-sweeping Festival, on Thursday this year, to commemorate their ancestors.
Prescriptions & Usage:
Mi meng flower tea
Prepare 3-9g mi meng flower. Boil in water.
Add rock sugar to sweeten. You can also put the flowers in green tea but too many will make it taste bitter.
Drink it anytime.
Benefits: Removes inner heat.
Mi meng flower rice
Soak mi meng flower in water and boil for five minutes at most, until the water turns yellow.
Cool the water and remove the petals. Prepare sticky rice - don't use ordinary rice as it can't absorb the color or fragrance.
Soak sticky rice in the yellow-dyed water for five to six hours.
Steam the soaked sticky rice.
Benefits: Helps improve eyesight.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
