典藏书目

[The nature of vegetables is Yin. Their function is to unblock and drain, hence they are called "Shu" (vegetables). They are indispensable in daily life and are typically consumed as a side dish alongside grains.]

[Majing Vegetable (Turnip Greens)]
Among vegetables, it is the most beneficial to humans. Regular consumption harmonizes the middle jiao and benefits Qi, making one plump and strong. Those traveling to distant places who cook and eat Majing vegetable with tofu will not suffer from acclimatization issues.

[Spinach]
Excessive consumption causes slippery discharge in the large and small intestines. Long-term consumption leads to weakness in the legs and lower back pain.

[Mustard Greens]
Excessive consumption stirs wind and disrupts Qi movement. It should not be eaten with rabbit meat, as this can generate malignant sores. Eating it with crucian carp can induce edema.

[Amaranth]
It stirs wind and causes irritability and oppression. Its cold nature damages the middle warmer and abdomen. Eating it with turtle meat is said to transform one into a small turtle (folklore); drinking horse urine urgently can cure this. It should also not be eaten with bracken fern.

[Long Bean (Cowpea)]
Long-term consumption induces disease and damages meridians and collaterals, dulls the complexion, causes coldness and bi-syndrome in the feet, and injures the Kidney.

[Celery]
Those grown in high-field terraces are suitable for consumption. Eating it with vinegar damages the teeth; red-colored celery is harmful to people.

[Water Shield (Chun Cai)]
Its nature is cold and it triggers hemorrhoids.

[Laver (Seaweed)]
Excessive consumption disrupts Qi movement, causing abdominal pain and vomiting of white foam. Drinking plenty of vinegar dissipates it. Small snails mixed within must be picked out as they harm the body. The same applies to other sea vegetables.

[Jia Bai (Wild Asparagus Rhizome)]
It should not be eaten with raw vegetables. Eating it with honey triggers chronic diseases and damages Yang Qi.

[Bracken Fern]
Consumption makes one lethargic and weakens Yang. It also causes blurred vision, nasal congestion, and hair loss. Children eating it may suffer from leg weakness and inability to walk. People with cold Qi consuming it often experience abdominal distension.

[Eggplant]
Its nature is cold and slippery. It stirs Qi and triggers sores. Excessive consumption mainly causes abdominal pain and diarrhea. For women, it injures the uterus.

[Scallion/Green Onion]
Its function is to induce sweating. Excessive consumption clouds the spirit. Eating it with honey causes dysentery and abdominal pain. Eating scallions with chicken, pheasant, or dog meat causes bleeding from the nine orifices and harms the body.

[Chinese Chives/Leek]
Patients should consume little. Excessive consumption aids Yang but damages the spirit, leading to dizziness and blurred vision. It must not be eaten with honey. If eaten with beef, it forms Jia masses (abdominal lumps).

[Xie (Welsh Onion/Rakkyo)]
Similar to scallions but thinner. Consumption generates phlegm and nasal discharge, stirs pathogenic fire, and is incompatible with beef.

[Garlic]
It primarily expels evil qi, promotes stomach function, and resolves stagnation. Long-term consumption generates phlegm-fire, damages the Liver and eyes, and weakens Yang. Having sexual intercourse after eating garlic damages Liver Qi and alters facial complexion.

[Cilantro/Coriander]
Long-term consumption damages the spirit and causes forgetfulness. The root severely damages Yang, causing seminal emission, and triggers chronic diseases.

[Kai Vegetable (Malva Verticillata/Winter Mallow)]
Consumption triggers old diseases. It is taboo to eat while taking any medication. Eating it with carp is harmful.

[White Radish/Daikon]
It resolves phlegm, directs Qi downward, benefits the diaphragm, and broadens the middle. Excessive consumption depletes Spleen Qi. Raw consumption leaks blood and harms the Heart. Those taking Rehmannia, Polygonum multiflorum, or Ginseng who eat it will find their beard and hair turning white.

[Calabash/Hu Zi]
It lubricates the intestines. For those with cold Qi, consumption worsens symptoms. Huluo Bao has slight toxicity; excessive consumption causes vomiting and irritability. Bitter varieties should not be eaten.

[Bamboo Shoots]
Their nature is cold and difficult to digest. Excessive consumption stirs Qi and does not benefit the Spleen and Stomach, causing gastric discomfort (zaochi).

[Fungi/Mushrooms]
Those growing on the ground are called Jun; those growing on wood are called Ru, Mu'er, or Zhan. Any new mushroom that has hairs, lacks gills/pores underneath, glows at night, has rotting flesh without wormholes, casts no shadow when cooked, or appears in spring/summer where snakes or insects have passed, is fatal if ingested mistakenly. Eating mushrooms from maple trees often leads to death due to uncontrollable laughter. Victims should dig a pit, fill it with water, stir, and drink the clear supernatant to detoxify. Only mushrooms growing on paper mulberry, elm, willow, locust, mulberry, and jujube trees are edible, but they are very cold and cause stagnation in the chest, making them hard to digest; thus, they should be eaten sparingly. When boiling mushrooms, use silver vessels and rush pith. If the silver vessel turns black, it indicates high toxicity and must not be eaten.

[Ginger]
It specifically opens the appetite, stops vomiting, moves medicinal stagnation, and counteracts the toxicity of Pinellia. The proverb says, "Eat radish at night, ginger in the morning." This implies that eating radish in the evening resolves food and alcohol stagnation, while eating ginger in the morning opens the appetite, wards off wind, resists cold, and eliminates turbidity. Eating ginger in the ninth lunar month harms the body and shortens lifespan.