Health/Herbs : Tian Ma

Tian Ma is also called Dong Ma or Calm Wing Herb. It is sweet warm in nature. It expels wind, cures palpitations, and benefits the liver. Among the symptoms of wind are dizziness, nervous prostration and numbness of the limbs.

Living in hot and humid country like Malaysia, we tend to develop wind in the body. Now, I don't mean the normal bloating. In Chinese medicine, wind is one of the 6 main cause of illness. Sometimes when you go for massage, do you find certain part of your body gave out a certain tick inside, as if there is something hard within your body? Those are actually wind that can block our body's "qi" flow. Massage can help, or once in a while consume some wind expelling herb like this one.

Be careful as there are fake tian ma made of sweet potatoes. The best tian ma is big, yellowish white, firm and bright in colour. There should not be any cavity over the cut.

Suggested recipe: Tian Ma with spare ribs in green tea soup

1. Throw in 1-2 pieces of tian ma with 300g of spare ribs, 1 packet of long jing green tea, 3-8 dates, 1-2 tbsp jizi (or jujubes in English), 1-2 tbsp barley, and 3 slices of ginger.
2. Make sure all the ingredients are covered by water.
3. Cook over slow fire for 1-2 hours or cook using microwave at high power for 20-30 minutes.
4. Once done, add a little salt and wine to taste. Bon apetit!

Note:

The picture show other additional herb such as rose bud, chrysanthemum, and bamboo pith. Personal additions to expel wind and dampness, as a result of our hot and humid weather these days (all the rains and extremely hot sun).