Herbs
Each entry pairs the original Donguibogam text with a modern explanation, properties, traditional applications, and cautions. Sources are cited on every page.
Ginseng人蔘
Ginseng is the most celebrated tonic herb in Korean traditional medicine, often called the king of herbs.…
Licorice Root甘草
Licorice root appears in more traditional Korean formulas than almost any other herb. Known as the harmon…
Fresh Ginger生薑
Fresh ginger bridges the kitchen and the pharmacy in Korean tradition. It is used at the first signs of w…
Astragalus Root黃芪
Astragalus is the classic qi tonic for the body's surface. Where ginseng restores deep vitality, astragal…
Korean Angelica Root當歸
Danggwi is the foremost blood tonic of Korean tradition, central to formulas such as Samul-tang. Its name…
Jujube大棗
Jujube, the Korean red date, is among the most familiar herbs in daily Korean life — steeped into teas, c…
Cinnamon Bark桂皮
Cinnamon bark is the great warmer of the traditional pharmacy. Where ginger warms the surface and the sto…
Goji Berry枸杞子
Goji berry is the classic tonic for the liver and kidney in East Asian tradition, long associated with no…
Schisandra Berry五味子
Schisandra is named 'five-flavor berry' because tradition finds sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, and salty a…
Peony Root芍藥
Peony root partners danggwi at the heart of Samul-tang, the foundational blood-nourishing formula. Tradit…
White Atractylodes Rhizome白朮
White atractylodes is one of the most widely used spleen-tonifying herbs in Korean tradition, central to …
Poria茯苓
Poria is unusual among traditional herbs in that it is not a plant at all, but the dried sclerotium of a …
Aged Tangerine Peel橘皮
Tangerine peel is a kitchen-cabinet remedy for stuck qi and phlegm, and the Donguibogam records that Kore…
Pinellia Rhizome半夏
Pinellia is one of the most important phlegm-resolving herbs in Korean tradition, but the Donguibogam is …
Cnidium Rhizome芎藭
Cnidium rhizome is celebrated in Korean tradition as the premier herb for blood-related headache, prized …
Cornus Fruit山茱萸
Cornus fruit is a foundational kidney-nourishing herb in Korean tradition, valued for strengthening what …
Liriope Tuber麥門冬
Liriope tuber takes its name from the shape of its root, which forms small beads resembling wheat grains …
Korean Yam薯蕷
Korean yam bridges food and medicine as directly as any herb in this tradition, gently tonifying the sple…
Balloon Flower Root桔梗
Balloon flower root — doraji in Korean — is as familiar on the dinner table as in the medicine cabinet, e…
Prepared Rehmannia Root熟地黃
Prepared rehmannia is the richest blood-nourishing root in Korean tradition, made by steaming and drying …