Vegetable yakuzen– category –

\ Your result / Guest, your constitution is... Parched Lily, the yin deficiency type. Dry skin... a dry throat and a body that flushes... If that sounds like you, you may be the Parched Lily type, short on moisture. Dryness, flushing, trouble falling asleep. But it is all right. A few small changes to how you eat...

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.

Pepper is a warm spice that warms the body and disperses cold. Taken in the cold season in particular, it encourages digestion and eases a troubled gut. Added to a dish it warms the body while supporting how the digestive system works. It also works well on a poor appetite and on feeling unwell through cold.

Cinnamon is a warm spice, held to ease cold and clear the cold from the body. It works particularly well in seasons when you feel the cold easily, or after cold drinks. It helps circulation and supports how the digestive system works. It is also said to help with trouble in the heart, kidneys and stomach. Added to cooking or a drink, it warms the body and brings a natural flavour with it.

Chilli is pungent and warm, and warms the stomach, disperses cold and helps digestion. It works well for easing stomach and abdominal pain, and suits feeling the cold and poor digestion in particular. Added to a dish it lifts the whole flavour and warms the body further. It is worth making a point of in winter.

Chinese chives are one of the vegetables that stand for spring, known for their vivid green and distinctive aroma. Widely used in stir-fries and as a filling for gyoza, their aroma gives a dish depth. To keep them, wrap them in damp newspaper and store them in the fridge to hold their freshness.

Cherry is the fruit that stands for early summer in Japan, with a fine balance of sweet and sour. Yamagata-grown cherries in particular are of high quality and known across the country. Keep them in the fridge and eat them as soon as you can. As well as enjoying them as a dessert, they work as an accent in cooking.

Plum is a fruit enjoyed across Japan, known for its vivid colour and sweet-sour taste. It comes into season in the heat of summer, which makes it ideal for putting some life back into a body worn down by it. It is good eaten as it is, and made into jam or compote it keeps longer and works in all sorts of dishes and sweets. Keep it in the fridge and eat it soon.