Benefits– category –

Pak choi is said to ease heat in the body and settle inflammation. It is nourishing and a valued vegetable from spring into summer. It is easy to cook, so do make a point of it in everyday meals.

It is thought to clear excess heat from the body and moisten the intestines. In hot weather in particular it can be looked to for settling the gut. In a stir-fry it goes beautifully with garlic and chilli, which lift its aroma and texture.

Lotus root, considered auspicious because its holes suggest seeing through to the future, is easy to cook and works in a great many ways. Fried or simmered it grows sweeter, and its texture is a pleasure. It is also rich in fibre and can be looked to for settling the gut. To keep it, wrap it in newspaper against damp and store it somewhere cool and dark.

Rose flower is held to regulate the circulation of qi and clear what has stalled. It is also said to improve the flow of blood and ease pain and trouble brought on by blood stasis. It works well on concerns common to women, such as tightness or pain in the chest, a troubled gut and irregular periods. As well as drinking it as tea, bringing the dried flowers into cooking lets you feel what it does day to day.

Buntan is a cold-natured fruit with sweet and sour flavours, said to help the Spleen and Stomach work and to be good for recovering from tiredness and for poor digestion. As well as eating it as it is, it works widely in cooking, desserts and drinks. Bringing in a fresh one in season supports your health while you enjoy its rich taste.

Orange is a citrus with sweet and sour flavours, cool in nature, held to settle how the stomach works and replenish the body's fluids. It suits daily care when a dry throat or trouble brought on by dryness is on your mind, and is also said to moisten the Lung. With its clean flavour it works eaten as it is, as juice, in salads...

Buckwheat is sweet, and its cool nature is said to clear heat from the body and settle the stomach. It is particularly useful for a poor appetite and constipation, and yakuzen values it as a food that helps digestion. It is easy to eat and works many ways, so it suits chilled soba in summer and hot soba in winter alike.

Unrefined brown sugar is said to warm the gut and improve the flow of blood, which helps with feeling the cold and with low strength. It works particularly well on stomach pain and irregular periods brought on by cold, and clears excess fluid and damp from the body. Adding it to a daily drink warms you from the inside and helps you get your energy back. Widely used as a sweetener in cooking and confectionery, it offers a sweetness that is kind to the body.

A fragrant flower that blooms in autumn, warm in nature, clearing cold from the body and working well on stomach and abdominal pain. It also improves the circulation of qi, which supports how the gut works. A useful ingredient when a cold is starting or the gut is troubled, and its aroma is deeply relaxing. Drinking it as tea is the easy way.

Fennel seed is a warm spice that clears cold and warms the body. It works particularly well when feeling the cold or swelling is on your mind, and also on a troubled gut and a poor appetite. It warms the stomach and encourages digestion, so taking it after a meal heads off indigestion.