Wolfberries are often dried before consumption.
Chinese herbs have been used in cooking, as medicine and for spiritual purposed for thousands of years. Shennong, "the divine farmer," lived around 5,000 years ago and is commonly credited as being the originator of their routine use in health care. Common sweet Chinese herbs are usually mixed into medicinal preparations, used in tea or added to cooking.
Chinese Licorice
The Glycyrrhiza uralensis plant, found on the grassy plains and mountains of northern China, is the main source of this sweet herb. The Chinese name for licorice, gan-cao, means "sweet herb." Licorice ,a widely used herbal drug, was first noted in the Shennong Bencao Jing---China's first pharmacology manual. Licorice is often used to facilitate the action of the other ingredients in Chinese herbal remedies, as well as improving the overall flavor.
Honeysuckle Stem
The stem of the honeysuckle vine is used in the treatment of skin sores and eruptions, as it is thought to help remove toxins and unblock the body's channels. Chinese healers also use the sweet-tasting herb for treating mastitis, abdominal pain, excessive bleeding, inflammation and itchiness.
Wolfberries
Wolfberries are known in China as gou qi zi. Herablists use these berries to improve the functioning of the immune system, liver, lungs and kidneys. They are the red berries of the Lycium barbarum plant and can be eaten raw or dried out. Wolfberries contain zinc, iron, B vitamins, phosphorous, vitamin C, beta-carotene, selenium, antioxidants, copper and isoleucine.
Celosia Seeds
Celosia seeds have sweet and cool properties, according to traditional Chinese medicine. They are small, round and black and come from an annual flowering herb commonly known as the feather cockscomb. The seeds are thought to relieve ailments such as itchy eyes, impaired vision and hypertension. They are commonly combined with buddleia flowers and cassia seeds.
Tags: Chinese herbs, sweet herb