https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/A4PeQB2Vq1CW8xtc-5KQOA
Welcome everyone to share your own experiences with the trial medicine in the replies, so that other students can easily search and learn.
438. Smoked Plum (Wumei)
Without adding sugar, soaking smoked plums in water already tastes quite good, mainly sour with a slight sweetness. Some people may not tolerate this sourness, but it is precisely this sourness that supports the reputation of sour plum soup. When balanced with an equal amount of sweetness, it forms a wonderful pattern of sourness and sweetness harmonizing yin.
I have always believed that sour plum soup only needs one ingredient, smoked plum (Wumei), plus rock sugar to taste very good. The basic ratio is 75g of smoked plums per 1500ml of purified water. Each time boiled with 125g rock sugar, boiled twice and combined into 2.5L — with a sugar content of about 10%. It is recommended to consume ≤500ml/day, and it is better for people trying to lose weight not to drink it.
Of course, everyone’s sensitivity to sourness and sweetness varies, so “adjust the formula according to personal taste” is still necessary.
In summary, the key to delicious sour plum soup is smoked plum. Although we have not particularly promoted smoked plum, since all varieties are premium quality, the smoked plum naturally comes from the Hexidao producing area, with excellent control of the smoking process. The flesh is glossy and thick, and the sour plum soup produced has an authentic flavor without any smoky or burnt taste.
A while ago, a user liked our smoked plum very much and asked us to develop a pre-mixed sour plum soup pack. In the end, I didn’t do it: first, no time to follow trends; second, a pre-mixed pack would definitely have redundant packaging and be less environmentally friendly — just like the previous “Rú Mèng Lìng” product, which stopped production after I finished my PhD. After selling out the existing stock, we switched to “eco-friendly packaging,” prepared on order, with fresher ingredients and more package savings. The quantity of sour jujube seed (Suanzaoren) was also increased to 6g, which I think is great.
As for dried tangerine peel (Chenpi), roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa), osmanthus, and the like, a little can be added as garnish, but it is not recommended to let them overpower the main flavor. Hawthorn has a strong taste (and sometimes an earthy smell), so it’s better not to add it. Licorice is better left out; otherwise, the final product smells like artificial sweetener and tastes slightly bitter (those who have tasted herbal medicines should be familiar with the bitterness brought by licorice).
After drinking, on one hand, the Qi gathers to the midline of the head (corpus callosum, pineal gland, thalamus area), the upper burner Qi collects near the diaphragm around the mediastinum, the middle burner Qi collects at the pancreas, and the lower burner Qi is slightly shifted upward but not much affected; on the other hand, after one minute, intense salivation begins for 15 minutes, gradually calming down after about half an hour.
Effects: generates body fluid (Shengjin), consolidates the lungs and nourishes the heart, gathers Qi and strengthens the spleen, consolidates Wei Qi (defensive Qi) and helps with sleep, restores left-right brain connection, and activates the pineal gland and thalamic function. On a metaphysical level, smoked plum also has the function of gathering the soul and spirit; using smoked plum as emergency aid sometimes targets this effect.
442. Pomegranate Peel
Quite bitter and astringent; after drinking, the throat feels uncomfortable.
Pomegranate peel affects the intestines, bladder, and reproductive system similarly to Chinese Gallnut (Wubeizi) and Terminalia Chebula (Hezi), but its effect is somewhat milder than Hezi’s. Its advantage lies in having both drying and astringent effects while being very mild, making it the top choice for dampness-induced mucous diarrhea. It also has some effect on hemorrhoid swelling, frequent clear urination, nocturnal emission, and vaginal discharge (but not strong enough for uterine bleeding, so it’s not suitable for that).
Effects: astringent and dries dampness.
443. Nutmeg
The taste of nutmeg is somewhat similar to cinnamon, slightly pungent on the move, and the aftertaste is mildly sweet and salivating.
After drinking, the Qi flows along the esophagus and stomach, quickly reaching the colon and rectum, filling them with Qi and blood. It does not always astringe the intestines to stop diarrhea. If there is damp turbidity and toxin inside the intestines, nutmeg actually helps the intestines to move and expel the pathogenic factors. Because it mainly acts on the distal intestine, it is recommended to first clear the stomach with herbs like Coix seed (Yiyiren), malt (Maiya), and costus root (Muxiang), then use nutmeg to consolidate the effect. If the intestines are not dirty but diarrhea is due to deficiency and cold, nutmeg immediately acts to consolidate — to some extent, it can be considered a bidirectional regulator.
On another note, a branch from the stomach ascends along the Du meridian straight to the occipital area of the back of the head, also exerting some wind-dispelling and cold-dispersing effects.
Effects: warms the middle burner and strengthens the spleen and stomach, activates colon and rectum (give it some passion), dispels wind and scatters cold.