Cucumber

Cucumber (오이, 胡瓜) is recorded in the Donguibogam as a cooling food (excess caution). Its nature is cold and its taste sweet, associated with the Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine meridians. Traditional uses recorded in the text include cools and hydrates (mild), a common food-vegetable rather than a strong medicinal. Caution: The Donguibogam is unusually direct: eating too much cucumber can stir up cold-heat imbalance and increase susceptibility to malarial-type disorders.

오이 (胡瓜) · Cucumis sativus L.

Cooling food (excess caution) Cold Sweet Spleen, Stomach, Large Intestine

NatureCold

TasteSweet

MeridiansSpleen, Stomach, Large Intestine

Part usedFruit

FamilyCucurbitaceae

CategoryCooling food (excess caution)

Overview

Cucumber is an everyday vegetable today, but the Donguibogam's entry for it is unusually brief and cautionary — a reminder that not every common food-herb in the classics comes with a long list of virtues. The text also explains where its name comes from: eaten commonly today as gwa-ja (瓜子), it turns yellow with age, hence being called 'yellow melon.'

In the Donguibogam

東醫
寶鑑

性寒, 味甘, 無毒. 不可多食, 動寒熱, 多瘧病.

Source: Donguibogam, Tangaek-pyeon (Herbology volume)

TranslationIts nature is cold, its taste sweet, and it is non-toxic. It should not be eaten in excess, as it can stir up cold-heat patterns and increase the likelihood of malarial-type disorders.

Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam

Cools and hydrates (mild)
A common food-vegetable rather than a strong medicinal

Traditional applications recorded in the classical text

Everyday cooling side dish
Hot-weather hydration

Traditional preparation

Eaten fresh as a side dish or salad; the leaf is separately noted for treating certain childhood conditions in the classical text.

This describes traditional preparation recorded in the classics, not a recommendation for use today. DonguiHub does not provide dosage guidance — consult a qualified professional before using any herb.

Cautions

Caution: The Donguibogam is unusually direct: eating too much cucumber can stir up cold-heat imbalance and increase susceptibility to malarial-type disorders. This is a classical caution rather than a modern medical finding — moderate intake as a food. Consult a professional if concerned.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Donguibogam entry for cucumber so short and cautionary?

Not every food-herb in the classics carries a long list of benefits — cucumber's entry is brief and focuses mainly on a caution against overeating, rather than listing extensive medicinal uses.

Why is cucumber also called "yellow melon" in the classical text?

The Donguibogam explains that the fruit turns yellow as it ages on the vine, which is why it was also called 黃瓜 ("yellow melon") alongside its more common name.

Sources

『동의보감』 탕액편, 허준, 1613 (원문) — 한문 원문
한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 원문 및 국역 자료 참조