Huangjing: A Daoist Superfood
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Huangjing 黄精 could be called a Daoist superfood. It is considered one of the Four Great Immortal Herbs 四大仙草, and is revered among Daoists as an herb that is especially beneficial for cultivation as it replenishes jing and qi, nourishes yin, tonifies the kidneys, spleen, and lungs, and promotes longevity. Huanjing is called the “immortals’ leftovers” 仙人余粮. In addition to using it to help them produce more jing and qi, Daoists sometimes consume it when fasting during periods of deep cultivation.
Regular consumption of huangjing is also said to lead to longevity. Legendary Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu wrote “Sweep away white hair with the huangjing, and behold a pure and bright complexion in years to come.” 扫除白发黄精在，君看他年冰雪容.
Ge Hong’s 葛洪 Daoist classic Baopuzi《抱朴子》records, “the ancients believed that this herb possessed the jing and qi of heaven and earth, hence its name, ‘Yellow Essence’.” Ge Hong believed that taking huangjing for extended periods could lead to significant benefits.
Modern research shows that huangjing contains a complex array of sugars, starches, fats, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and antioxidants, and has antifungal properties. Studies attribute various benefits to it such as the ability to increase oxygen absorption, stimulate digestion, decrease elevated cholesterol levels, regulate blood sugar, benefit vision, and regulate heart rhythm.
Traditionally huangjing is steamed and dried nine times. The process makes it milder and easier to digest and also enhances it with greater yang and yin tonifying qualities as it is able to absorb yang from sunlight and firewood and yin from the nightly dew and moonlight.
The following poem sums things up nicely:
黄精又名仙人粮，
味甘性平治劳伤，
补中益气乌须发，
填精益髓润五脏。
驻颜断谷九蒸晒，
轻身延年实敢当，
啖之百日气顺畅，
续服十年登仙乡。
Huangjing, also known as Immortal’s Food,
is sweet and neutral in nature, treating fatigue and injury;
it nourishes the middle jiao, replenishes qi, and darkens hair;
it replenishes essence (jing), benefits marrow, and nourishes the five internal organs;
it preserves youth, requiring nine cycles of steaming and drying;
it truly promotes lightness of body and longevity;
consuming it for one hundred days ensures smooth qi flow;
after continuous consumption for ten years it leads one to ascend to immortality.
Huangjing Teas
Nine times steamed and dried huanjing can be consumed straight, but it is often nice to consume it brewed as an herbal tea. It can be combined with various herbs to achieve particular qualities. The following are some examples (boiled together in water for 15-20 minutes):
- Huangjing + goji berries + sangshen (mulberry) – yin-nourishing and kidney tonifying
- Huangjing + hongzao (red dates) + longan – qi and blood nourishing
- Huangjing + baihe (lily bulb) + maidong — lung-nourishing and moisturizing
- Huangjing + shanzha (hawthorn) + chenpi (aged tangerine peel) — digestive aid and lipid-lowering
- Huangjing + rose + hongzao (red dates) — liver soothing and beautifying
- Huangjing + lianzi (lotus seed) + qianshi — jing consolidating and benefiting the spleen
- Huangjing + chrysanthemum + (stir-fried) cassia seed — liver-clearing and vision improving
