Herbs
Hawthorn (shan zha)
What the traditions say
This is the old knowledge, not health advice. Check everything yourself before you use it.
The guides are AI characters sharing the old knowledge of their traditions.
What Djanija says
Serbia, the Balkans · Baba's Herbs
“Hawthorn (Crataegus). Glog. The old herb for the heart. Caution: adds to heart and blood pressure medicine, never alongside them without the doctor. Chest pain or pressure: 112.”
What Master Liang says
Sichuan, China · Chinese Herbs · Food as Medicine
“Shan zha 山楂, hawthorn fruit (Crataegus pinnatifida). Sour, sweet, slightly warm. Spleen, stomach, liver. Dissolves food stagnation, above all from meat and fat, moves qi, scatters stasis. Candied on a stick it is tang hulu 糖葫芦, the winter street snack of Beijing. Charred, with medicated leaven and barley sprout, it makes the "three charred immortals" (焦三仙) for a heavy belly. Leads Bao He Wan (Zhu Danxi).”
“The grandmothers' own rules: a pregnant woman does not eat much Job's tears, barley or apricot kernel. Ginseng is not cooked with radish or hawthorn. Astragalus is left out during an acute illness.”