Autumn Wellness: Chinese Yam (Shan Yao 山药)
Chinese yam (shan yao 山药), literally “mountain medicine,” is a staple food often found in a traditional yangsheng (“nourishing life”) diet. It is one of the few foods that you will see recommended in practically every season for its diverse benefits. It is commonly recommended as food to eat in the autumn season, and is perhaps my favorite yangsheng food for autumn next to pear water. Aside from its seasonal and general health benefits, it is a great addition to a neigong cultivator’s diet because it is so beneficial to the organs systems responsible for extracting post-heaven qi from the food we eat and the air we breathe, as well as supporting the ever-important kidneys and preventing the leakage of jing.
Autumn is the season associated with the lungs and the color white. Chinese yam (a white food), enters the lung, spleen, and kidney meridians and would be considered in the category of herbs that tonify qi. Although, it is one of those foods that blurs the line between food and “herb” 药. A Chinese idiom comes to mind, “yao shi tong yuan” 药食同源, meaning food and medicine come from the same source, or there is no clear-cut distinction between food and medicine.
Chinese yam can:
- Tonify lung qi and nourish lung yin, it moistens the lungs (important in autumn)
- Tonify the spleen, nourish stomach yin, eliminate dampness (the spleen’s worst enemy), alleviate diarrhea
- Tonify kidney yin and astringe jing
The famous Qing Dynasty physician, Zhang Xichun, was a huge advocate of Chinese yam, and supported the approach of “yi shi dai yao” 以食代药, meaning to use food instead of medicine. There are many accounts of Zhang using Chinese yam to treat a variety of conditions. It was recorded that he used it to treat 49 out of a list of 141 ailments. He was particularly fond of prescribing congee (porridge) that had Chinese yam in it, and called it a “supreme product” among tonic medicines, and said that it “should be taken often.”
“Iron stick yam” (铁棍山药) is considered to be a particularly good variety and comes from Wenxian County, Jiaozuo City, Henan Province (河南省焦作市温县). In the West, it is not always easy to get fresh Chinese yam, unless you have an Asian supermarket nearby. Chinese yam powder is an alternative which can be ordered online and is also convenient for everyday use.
I generally order Chinese yam powder from Yami and prefer this brand of Iron Stick Yam powder:
Actually, the easiest way to eat the Chinese yam powder is to simply mix a scoop of it with hot water. It makes for a creamy beverage that is actually quite tasty. I usually enjoy making congee (porridge) with it. If I’m out of my favorite congee (or don’t have time to make it), I will typically make some buckwheat porridge and stir some Chinese yam powder in just before it is finished cooking. It adds a creamy texture and, in my opinion, improves the overall taste while also adding in the health benefits described above.
