Four edible Chinese herbs.

Introduction: Perhaps many people would not expect that Chinese medicinal herbs such as mint, dandelion, and purslane can also find their way to the dinner table, becoming delicacies for the people and offering some health benefits that vegetables do not possess. In this issue, we recommend several Chinese medicinal herbs that can be cooked as dishes.

Freshly picked mint leaves are refreshing and delicious, with multiple health benefits such as clearing the mind and improving vision, detoxifying and reducing internal heat, relieving wind-heat, stimulating appetite, and aiding digestion. In addition to being used for making tea, mint can also be stir-fried with tofu or used to make soup with crucian carp. It should be noted that people with symptoms such as night sweats, restlessness, skin itching, or a tendency to catch a cold easily, as well as those with a weak spleen and stomach or diarrhea, should consume it in moderation.

Margarita Cookies with Mint

According to "Compendium of Materia Medica," dandelion is neutral in nature with a slightly bitter and sweet taste. It has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, reducing swelling, and promoting lactation, making it very effective for treating mastitis. Additionally, dandelion has diuretic, anti-diarrheal, jaundice-reducing, and choleretic properties. Dandelion can be eaten in various ways: raw, stir-fried, in soups, or blanched and served as a cold salad. However, people with a pale complexion, weakness, aversion to cold, a tendency to catch cold easily, or a weak spleen and stomach should avoid it.

Purslane has the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling the blood to stop bleeding, and dispelling stasis to reduce swelling. Its tender stems and leaves can be eaten as a vegetable or dried for later use. Purslane can be stir-fried with eggs or served as a cold salad. However, it contains a high amount of oxalic acid, so it is best to blanch it before cooking. Purslane is considered a cooling food, so it should be avoided by people with a weak spleen and stomach, those who are prone to diarrhea when exposed to cold, and pregnant women.

Cold Dandelion Salad

Andrographis paniculata is bitter and cold in nature. It has effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling the blood, and reducing swelling. It can be used to treat conditions like colds with fever, sore throat, mouth sores, diarrhea, dysentery, and venomous snake bites. Andrographis paniculata can clear heat and detoxify, and eating it as a cold salad helps to preserve its nutritional value and health benefits. However, because it is cooling in nature, people who are constitutionally weak, prone to diarrhea, or have a cold body temperature should consume it in moderation.

Cold Andrographis Paniculata Salad