Lettuce
Lettuce (상추, 萵苣) is recorded in the Donguibogam as a sinew-strengthening food herb. Its nature is cool (some sources: cold) and its taste bitter, associated with the Liver, Stomach meridians. Traditional uses recorded in the text include strengthens sinews and bones, opens chest congestion, sharpens the mind. Caution: The Donguibogam notes it can make a cold-constituted stomach feel colder, though without serious harm.
Overview
Lettuce is the wrap-leaf behind Korean ssam culture today, and the Donguibogam records a benefit still relevant for evening meals — it settles the mind and reduces the need for sleep — alongside strengthening the sinews and bones and unblocking chest congestion.
In the Donguibogam
寶鑑
Traditional uses recorded in the Donguibogam
- Strengthens sinews and bones
- Opens chest congestion
- Sharpens the mind
- Reduces excessive sleepiness
Traditional applications recorded in the classical text
- Chest tightness or congestion
- Mental fogginess
- General sinew and bone support
Traditional preparation
Eaten fresh as a wrap leaf or salad; the white-haired variety (baekgeo) is noted as functionally identical.
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
Frequently asked questions
Does lettuce really help with sleep, according to the classics?
The Donguibogam records that lettuce sharpens the mind and reduces the need for sleep — the opposite of lettuce's modern folk reputation as sleep-inducing, worth noting as a historical record rather than a health claim.
What else was lettuce used for traditionally?
Strengthening the sinews and bones, benefiting the five viscera, and opening congested qi in the chest — alongside a specific classical mention of treating snake bites.
Sources
- 『동의보감』 탕액편, 허준, 1613 (원문) — 한문 원문
- 한의학고전DB (mediclassics.kr) — 원문 및 국역 자료 참조