Food Pairings the Donguibogam Says Not to Eat Together
Scallion and honey, vinegar and clam, milk and sour things. The Donguibogam's introduction keeps separate lists of food incompatibilities and foods to avoid while taking medicine. Here they are, as the text records them.
At the very front of the Tangaek-pyeon, before the individual herbs, the Donguibogam gathers rules for using medicines. Two lists there touch today's table: records of foods that are incompatible with each other (相反), and foods to avoid while taking a medicine (服藥食忌). This article presents those lines as the text gives them. It is not modern food-safety guidance and does not claim modern evidence that any pairing is harmful.
Food and food: the incompatibility records
"Incompatible" (sang-ban) is the traditional term for two things that work as enemies and must not be combined. The text lists not only herbs but a few everyday foods.
葱與蜜相反, 食之殺人. 一云, 燒葱和蜜食則促人氣, 必殺人
Scallion and honey are incompatible; eating them together is said to kill. One source says burnt scallion mixed with honey hastens a person's qi and certainly kills.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · incompatibilities
韭不可與蜜同食, 相反
Chinese chive must not be eaten together with honey; they are incompatible.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · incompatibilities
醋, 不可與蛤肉同食, 相反
Vinegar must not be eaten together with clam meat; they are incompatible.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · incompatibilities
牛乳, 與酸物, 生魚, 相反, 令人腹中結癖
Cow's milk is incompatible with sour things and raw fish, causing lumps to form in the belly.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · incompatibilities
The warning about scallion and honey is written especially strongly. More of the text's record on scallion is on the Welsh Onion (White Part) page.
Foods to avoid while taking a medicine
This list takes the form "if this medicine is included, avoid this food." A few examples:
有甘草, 勿食菘菜, 海藻, 猪肉
When licorice is included, do not eat songchae (a cabbage-type vegetable), sargassum or pork.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · foods to avoid while taking medicine
當歸, 惡熱麪
Dang-gui dislikes hot wheat flour.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · foods to avoid while taking medicine
有茯苓, 勿食醋酸物. 一云忌米醋
When poria is included, do not eat vinegar or sour things; another source says to avoid rice vinegar.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · foods to avoid while taking medicine
有朮, 勿食桃, 李, 雀, 蛤, 胡荽, 大蒜, 靑魚, 鮓
When atractylodes is included, do not eat peach, plum, sparrow, clam, coriander, garlic, herring or salted fish.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · foods to avoid while taking medicine
威靈仙, 忌茗及麪湯
Clematis root avoids tea and flour broth.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · foods to avoid while taking medicine
服諸藥, 不可多食醋
When taking medicines, do not eat much vinegar.
Tangaek-pyeon introduction · foods to avoid while taking medicine
The list concerns pairings of medicines and foods; it is not a rule for the everyday meals of someone not taking that medicine. See Licorice Root, Poria and Korean Angelica Root for herb details.
How to read it
The text gives no long reasons, only the lists. This article does not address modern research on whether any pairing is actually harmful, and nothing here should make you worry about or judge your everyday food combinations. If you are taking medicines or have allergies or conditions, talk to your clinician or pharmacist first. This article is educational and does not replace diagnosis or treatment.